London Southend Airport sees busiest Christmas getaway in years
Festive travel surge expected with thousands heading abroad
London Southend Airport is gearing up for its busiest Christmas travel season since 2019, with passenger numbers expected to increase by 300% compared to last year.
The growth follows six new routes launched earlier this year, including Barcelona, Berlin, Grenoble, Lanzarote, Salzburg, and Rovaniemi – the Finnish town often associated with Santa Claus. The airport is welcoming thousands of travellers seeking winter sun, festive activities, or seasonal city breaks.
Business Development Director Nigel Mayes said that the airport expects this year’s holiday period to see unprecedented demand. “We fully expect this to be our busiest festive season since 2019. Whatever you want to do over these holidays – we’ve got it covered, be it winter sun, skiing, shopping at Berlin’s Christmas market, meeting Santa in Lapland, or last-minute Christmas city breaks.”
Popular destinations
The airport’s top 10 destinations for festive travel this year include cities like Amsterdam, Geneva, and Paris, as well as warmer locations like Lanzarote and Malaga.
London Southend Airport has reported a significant rise in interest for both family-friendly trips and escapes for winter sports enthusiasts.
Travel advice
With increased passenger numbers, London Southend Airport has shared some seasonal travel tips to help passengers.
Travellers are advised to allow extra time for their journey and avoid gift-wrapping items, as security may need to remove packaging during checks. Food like cakes and mince pies are best kept in their original sealed packaging.
Items such as toy guns or party poppers cannot be taken in hand luggage, while crackers may only be permitted in hold luggage depending on airline conditions.