easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, has celebrated its 365 days anniversary at London Southend Airport today – Tuesday 2 April with passengers, staff and youngsters from the local people who were invited to take part in a paper plane ‘origami master class’ and competition to mark the occasion.
A huge easyJet orange, origami paper plane (2m x 2m) was unveiled within the check-in area by easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager Hugh Aitken and London Southend Airport Managing Director Alastair Welch.
Hugh Aitken, easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager, commented “There was a pretty good atmosphere on the easyJet check-in desk – our origami plane was certainly eye-catching! The ambience was exactly what we would have liked to create for all our passengers to assert thanks for his or her continued support.”
easyJet launched at London Southend on 2 April 2012 with 10 popular holiday routes across Europe. Throughout the airline’s first year it has continued to take a position within the airport by launching an extra five routes, bringing more choice and outstanding value to its passengers from Southend and the encompassing areas. The entire variety of easyJet destinations from London Southend is now 15, and can soon include links to additional business and leisure hubs consisting of Edinburgh (May), Berlin, Krakow and Newquay (June). Also in June, this investment can be strengthened by the advent of a fourth aircraft to be based at London Southend Airport.
Mr Aitken added “It’s been a monumental year for us; we’ve flown greater than 700,000 passengers and feature increased the destinations we operate to by greater than 50%. We’ve made travelling easy for the 150,000 people of Southend and the encircling areas across Essex and East London with affordable flights from as low as £26.49. Plus we have now ensured our customers are the happiest at London Southend Airport out of all our bases securing an outstanding 92% satisfaction rate. We’re fully committed to London Southend Airport and feature demonstrated this by investing heavily in new destinations. We’re keen to continue adding more varied routes to our schedule and over the arriving week’s we’ll see inaugural flights to Edinburgh, Berlin, Krakow and Newquay take-off. Ultimately our long-term aim at London Southend Airport is straightforward; to expand our network, bring more competition and lower fares in addition to opening up new markets to both our leisure and business travellers.”
To further celebrate the landmark anniversary, easyJet invited local children from Little Havens Hospice to return along to the airport to participate in a paper plane making master class, hosted by world renowned origami artist Mark Bolitho.
Little Havens cares for kids from across Essex who’ve been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and likewise offers support for his or her families. Art and crafts play a significant part inside the sensory therapies provided by the hospice, giving children with serious illnesses an inventive outlet to precise themselves.
Participants then entered a paper plane throwing competition to win return flights for a family of 4 to either Amsterdam – the nearest route served by the airline from London Southend – or Faro, the furthest route served from London Southend by easyJet.
The prize was scooped by 9-year-old Connor Sergeant from Shoeburyness who won flights to Faro.
Passengers were also treated to complimentary #1 shaped birthday cake and fizz in the course of the day.
London Southend Airport Managing Director, Alastair Welch, says “It have been a pretty good first year with easyJet for each of the team at Southend, and as recent figures showed our busiest ever. We expect our unique promises to passengers – that they ought to wait not more than four minutes to move through security and that, on arrival with hand baggage, they may be at the rail station platform within quarter-hour of leaving the aircraft – is what’s driving increasingly more passengers to make your mind up London’s newest airport. Because of this we’re currently extending the terminal with the intention that we continue to deliver these high standards of shopper service because the airport grows.”
Recommended