Ryanair is launching operations from Southend airport with three based aircraft serving 13 new routes in eight countries.
The summer 2019 programme will see 55 weekly flights launch to Alicante, Barcelona Reus, Bilbao, Brest, Corfu, Cluj, Dublin, Faro, Kosice, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Palma and Venice and are expected to deliver an additional one million passengers per year.
Ryanair chief commercial officer David O’Brien said: “We are pleased to add London Southend Airport to our UK base network."
Warwick Brady, CEO of the Stobart Group which operates the airport, added: "We have a clear and focused strategy to grow our airport to welcome over 5 million passengers a year by 2022.
"This news will help us achieve that aim, and Ryanair will be a valuable partner to Stobart Group in developing London Southend airport with 13 routes and six new destinations, allowing us to play a key role in solving London’s capacity crisis."