SOUTHEND has been handed a huge boost as  inaugural flights to Amsterdam got underway.

Southend Airport has launched its first easyJet flights to Amsterdam this evening with celebrations to mark the occasion.

This is the first flight to the Dutch city from Southend Airport since March 2020.

Today also saw the restart of flights to Faro too.

Flights to the Netherlands and Portugal complete the full summer schedule of routes from the airport.

Malaga and Palma de Mallorca, two popular Spanish destinations, have been in operation since March.

John Upton, CEO of Southend Airport, said: “I am delighted at the efforts here at Southend today to make the first flight a roaring success.

“Passengers can now make global connections from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to destinations across the world.

“Lots of people will see the benefit of a hassle-free route through Southend to Amsterdam with our queue-free security and quick, easy access direct from London Liverpool Street at only 53 minutes by train or from Stratford, London’s busiest station, in only 43 minutes to our dedicated onsite train station, just 100 paces from the terminal.

“The restart to Faro and an additional flight per week demonstrates the popularity of the Portuguese summer favourite in the Algarve.”

Flights to Amsterdam will operate up to four times a week throughout summer – departing Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

And with an extra flight to Faro added to the schedule, easyJet’s operations at Southend Airport has now increased by 30 per cent compared to Summer 2022 with up to 18 flights per week.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK country manager, added: “We are delighted to be celebrating the launch of our new route between London Southend and Amsterdam today.

“The new route is set to be popular with business and leisure passengers alike and we’re excited to see the first flights take off today.

“The addition of Amsterdam, joining Malaga, Faro and Palma as easyJet destinations from London Southend enables us to provide our customers with an even wider range of fantastic beach and city routes across Europe.

“We remain committed to strengthening our unrivalled short-haul network and providing affordable and convenient connections for our customers across the UK, all with great value fares and the warm welcome that our crew are famous for.”