BOSSES at Southend Airport have hinted new flights to popular destinations such as Alicante may be revealed very soon.

In a cryptic message posted to social media, the airport told holidaymakers to “watch this space and keep your fingers crossed”, adding there would be “good news” and “route updates” soon.

The airport has only just resumed passenger flights, with the first since the pandemic jetting off on May 1.

Coronavirus had seen easyJet, Ryan Air and Wizzair pull out of the airport, with the airport reporting the more lost passengers than any other centre in the country – 95 per cent in a year.

However, things seem to be on the up, with easyJet making a dramatic return in time for this summer season and is currently offering flights to Faro, Malaga and Palma.

But customers are eager to see a return of flights to summer favourites such as Alicante, Barcelona, Lisbon, Prague and Amsterdam.

“I am praying for the airport to get back some of the flights it had before Covid,” Sarah Leaburn, 36, said.

The Southend mother-of-two added: “My favourite place to go on holiday is Alicante, and I would love to be able to do that from Southend again as travelling into Gatwick and Stansted is such a bother.”

Clare White, 41, of Rayleigh, said: “I have yet to use the airport since it reopened, but if it started running flights to Barcelona I would be straight back in there.

“I’ve been to Malaga loads so I just want to try a nice Spanish city break.”

An airport spokesman previously told the Echo: “We want to develop a sustainable airport that works for our community. We are focused on discussions with short-haul airline operators.

“We aim to get back to pre-pandemic levels in the coming years.

“We are more focused on profitable and sustainable airline agreements than a rush to get maximum passengers.”

In a bid to diversify revenue streams the airport has also signed up charter firm Air Horizont to run business and “high profit” private flights from Southend.