A TRAVEL agent is being “absolutely bombarded” by enquires from customers keen to make the most of Southend Airport’s new routes - particularly the hotly-anticipated flights to Alicante.

Benfleet Travel, in High Road, has revealed customers are coming in “on a daily basis” to book flights to the new destination to catch some Spanish sun.

Flights to Alicante relaunched from Southend Airport on August 22 having been scrapped when easyJet closed its base at the start of the Covid pandemic.

Charlie Joyce, a travel consultant at Benfleet Travel, said: “We’ve seen an increasing demand to the travel agency.

“We’re getting more clients than ever before and getting absolutely bombarded with enquiries about Alicante.

“People are asking for a mix of packages, single and return flights.

“The other destinations, such as Paris and Amsterdam are doing OK, but it’s mainly Alicante that our clients are asking for.

“It’s great because it feels like Southend is coming back to life again.”

Southend Airport was left reeling after Covid-19 hit the UK with Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet quitting the airport in quick succession.

However, the airport is bouncing back with easyJet now running routes to Paris, Amsterdam, Bourgas, Faro, Geneva, Malaga and Majorca.

At Westway Travel, in the Broadway, Thorpe Bay, travel consultant Nicole Roberts says Majorca was the “biggest hit” because their clients are attracted by the idea of sun and short flights.

She said: “The most popular flight at the moment is Majorca because of the really good flight time, which is two hours and 30 minutes.

“With people on social media going mad about Alicante, it hasn’t really been big for us here.

“Alicante is still growing for us but just waiting for a little bit more of a demand.”

Like Ms Joyce, Ms Roberts says it is “great to see easyJet return to Southend Airport, as well as passengers being able to step inside the terminal and go away once again”.