Southend Airport, near London, has won a significant battle in its fight to extend
its runway, creating a potential alternative to Stansted in time to carry passengers
to the 2012 Olympics.

If successful, Southend could become another air hub for London carrying 2m passengers
a year to destinations as distant as southern Europe.

The airport received local council approval for the extension this week and is
awaiting a final decision from government.

John Denham, secretary of state for communities and local government, can either
approve the project or call a public inquiry.

But Eddie Stobart, the transport group that owns the airport, wants a quick decision
so it can complete the work in time for the 2012 Olympics.

Despite the controversy over expansion at Heathrow and Stansted, this extension
has won broad cross-party support as it will ease congestion at south-east England’s
other airports and could create more than 1,000 additional jobs.

Flybe is the only consumer service operating out of Southend, offering weekend
flights to Jersey. But the airport is likely to prove attractive to rival low
cost carriers as it avoids the congested London flight path and shaves 20 minutes
off journey times to Europe. It is currently a hub for private business jets,
flight clubs and aircraft maintenance.

The airport will be well connected. A new railway station is due to open in July,
taking passengers from the airport to Liverpool Street Station in 49 minutes and
to Stratford in 42 minutes.

Eddie Stobart, best known for its road haulage arm, bought Southend Airport in
2008 in a £21m deal. Eighty five per cent of air cargo freight in and out of London
comes on passenger planes and the company hopes to provide customers with an integrated
air and road haulage service.

Andrew Tinkler, chief executive of Eddie Stobart, said: “If you go shopping you
want all your bread and butter sold in one shop. We want to offer customers a
one-stop shop as well.”

The company bought Carlisle Lake District airport last summer, where it is building
a new distribution centre and resurfacing the runway, raising the possibility
of scheduled passenger flights between London and the Lake District.