Airport expansion plans on show

Airport managers want to see flights attracting 1m passengers a year

Plans for the expansion of Southend Airport in Essex are set to go on show from Wednesday.

The airport wants to provide up to 20 flights a day to UK and European cities - creating 1,000 more jobs - over the next decade.

Destinations could include Edinburgh, Dublin, Barcelona, Rome and Alicante.

The exhibition will be held within the airport's passenger terminal. Southend Airport could attract more than 1m passengers and 1,000 new jobs.

By 2015, Southend could be handling as many as 40 passenger flights a day in 75-80 seater planes according to a draft plan presented for consultation.

Low-cost carrier Flybe is due to start services to Jersey out of Southend next month and plans for a new terminal and rail station have already been approved.

The government has already said it would support expansion at Southend subject to relevant environmental considerations.