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Southend Airport was formally recognised as a municipal airport in the 1930s. It has operated commercially as a municipal airport for over 85 years. Through the 1960s until the end of the 1970s, it was London’s 3rd busiest airport until Stansted took this title from it. These past operations were conducted in the knowledge that the runway length restricted the type and size of aircraft that could use Southend Airport, thereby controlling the commercial nature of what was a municipal, rather than a main hub airport. Stobart Aviation took over control of the airport operations in 2008. In 2010, the airport received planning permission to extend the runway length by 300 metres. Extending the runway length significantly changed the dynamics of the commercial operations and the size of the aircraft that could use the runway and the airport facilities.
Prior to the change in the Section 106 agreement, the airport could conduct up to 900-night flights per month. The current Section 106 licence agreement between Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and the airport operator was a significant reduction and only permits up to 120 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) per month at night (between the hours of 23:00 and 06:30). This excludes ATMs of an emergency nature or for other unscheduled reasons, such as diverted aircraft from other airports etc.
Due to the orientation of the runway in relation to the residential conurbations of Southend and Rochford, the direct impact the airport has on those living within the operational area of the airport and the flight path, is significant and disproportionately high when compared to almost all other major and municipal airports in the UK. This factor alone should not be underestimated in any considerations. Another significant consideration is that airports and aircraft noise are exempt from general ‘noise nuisance’ legislation, meaning that it is virtually impossible to take any effective localised action against aircraft or airport noise nuisance.
The airport is a polarising subject for Southend and its residents. Whilst the commercial benefits for the local economy must be acknowledged, this has to be in viewed in context and in contrast to the negative impacts its operations have on the environment and on residents who live under the flight path. Economic benefits alone should not be the overarching or single-minded consideration when evaluating the airport and its benefits and impacts on residents. Those that are not directly affected by the ground operations or the aircraft flight path and noise generally are supportive of the airport and its expansion plans. Those directly affected by the aforementioned, generally have a very different and opposing view.
The current CEO of Southend Airport was responsible for the rapid and significant expansion of Luton airport, taking it from under 2 million passengers annually to over 16 million pas