London Southend Airport (SEN/EGMC) owners Stobart Group have raised £140m to transform and enhance the passenger experience in the new post-COVID-19 world.
The airport will now invest the money over the coming years and will focus on maintaining a constant flow of passengers through the terminals and avoiding bottlenecks and human touchpoints.
Passengers will be able to enjoy plenty of personal space with estimates showing that departing passengers benefit from an average of over 17 square metres of space each.
The airport is also restricting access to the terminal to passengers only and ensuring all staff and passengers wear face masks.
It is also providing over 100 hand sanitising stations along the passenger journey and key contact points, from check in to immigration checks, are protected by bio-shields.
London Southend is currently the only airport in the London area that is on the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) list, which means passengers will find an easier experience travelling to countries such as Greece once flights restart.
London Southend Airport CEO Glyn Jones said: “We were already delivering an award-winning passenger experience and have been voted Which? best London airport for the last five years. This capital raise allows Stobart Group to invest further in our airport and we are actively exploring new opportunities to make the airport even easier and more spacious to use, ensuring passengers can be confident when travelling with us.”
Which? announced recently London Southend Airport has the joint-fastest security queues with passengers having to wait on average for 5 minutes or less.
The airport has recently invested in next-generation security scanning equipment that means passengers will not be expected to take electronic devices or liquids out of their bags further helping to speed up the security lines.
Warwick Brady, CEO of Stobart Group said: “At London Southend Airport we will specifically design and implement an improved passenger experience for post-COVID 19 travel, making use of significant unutilised space and technology to enhance passenger confidence, while providing a cost-efficient base of operation to airlines.”
