ALMOST 10,000 tickets have been sold for new routes from Southend Airport.

Flybe, operated by Stobart Air, reports strong interest in routes to Groningen, Muster Osnabruck and Rennes which commence on June 5.

Services to Cologne Bonn, Caen Normandie and Antwerp start on July 3 and from July 10 the Maastricht route will come into operation. Monday was the busiest day yet for advance ticket bookings.

Simon Fagan, chief commercial officer for Stobart Air, said: “With almost 10,000 tickets already sold, we are on course to meet our target of carrying up to 700,000 passengers on our new London Southend routes within three years.

“Weekend bookings are quite popular and we are seeing a surge in weekday bookings as the launch day approaches.”

He added “These three routes are clearly resonating with both business and leisure passengers in Southend. Münster in Germany is a vibrant city that is home to thousands of university students.

Roger Clements, the airport’s managing director, said “We are very encouraged by the growing demand for the three routes commencing on 5 June. This bookings surge proves that London Southend is continuing to become a popular travel hub for both continental and London bound passengers. As the popularity of London Southend grows we hope that these recent route expansions will bring a boost to the economy to the local area.”

A new Flybe route from London Southend to Newquay Cornwall took off on Saturday(17/5). The airline is operating a three times a week summer service through until 27 September.