London Southend Airport wins ‘Best Route Development & Marketing’ Award at Routes Europe 2025
London Southend Airport is proud to announce a victory in the ‘Best Route Development & Marketing’ category for airports under five million passengers at this year’s Routes Europe Awards in Seville, Spain.
This accolade recognises London Southend’s rapid growth, airline relationships, and an innovative approach to route development, underpinned by high-impact marketing activities.
Nigel Mayes, Business Development Director, said: “This award is a testament to the dedication of our team and the strength of our airline partnerships. London Southend is uniquely positioned to support meaningful growth for carriers, backed by modern infrastructure, unbeatable access, and a marketing approach that gets noticed. We’re thrilled to be recognised by the industry at Routes Europe.”
The award follows a year of significant growth for the airport, which recorded an impressive 133% year-on-year increase in flights from 2024 to 2025 – driven by the return of a three-aircraft easyJet base and the launch of 10 new holiday routes, plus a seasonal service to Lapland and domestic service to Newquay, Cornwall, operated by Eastern Airways.
With immediate capacity to serve three million passengers, London Southend offers a low-cost, uncongested alternative to other London airports. Its modern infrastructure includes a dedicated on-site train station, providing seamless connectivity to London Liverpool Street in just 52 minutes and to Stratford in only 43 minutes – ensuring accessibility for both airlines and passengers alike.
London Southend Airport also benefits from zero slot constraints and the lowest operational costs for airlines – a unique platform for fast and sustainable growth.
These strengths are bolstered by a disruptive marketing strategy: from viral influencer partnerships and industry events, to rail station sponsorship and unorthodox approaches to social media, tapping into regional, national and global audiences.
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About London Southend Airport
London Southend Airport, ranked the best London airport by consumer group Which? six times and voted the best UK airport (under three million capacity) by the Airport Operator’s Association in 2019.
Serving close to 2.3 million passengers in 2019, London Southend offered services to around 40 domestic and European cities. The terminal has its own railway station, less than 100 paces from the main entrance, with up to six trains an hour at peak times to central London, taking just 52 minutes to Liverpool Street and 43 minutes from Stratford. All airport car parks are located minutes from the terminal entrance.