Tuesday 2 April with passengers, staff and children from the local community who were invited to participate in a paper plane ‘origami master class’ and competition to mark the occasion.

A huge easyJet orange, origami paper plane was unveiled in the check-in area by easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager Hugh Aitken and London Southend Airport Managing Director Alastair Welch.

Hugh Aitken, easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager, commented:

""There was a great atmosphere at the easyJet check-in desk – our origami plane was certainly eye-catching! The atmosphere was exactly what we wanted to create for all our passengers to say thank you for their continued support.""

easyJet launched at London Southend on 2 April 2012 with eight popular holiday routes across Europe. During the airline’s first year it has continued to invest in the airport by launching an additional seven routes, bringing more choice and outstanding value to its passengers from Southend and the surrounding areas. The total number of easyJet destinations from London Southend is now 15, and will soon include links to additional business and leisure hubs such as Edinburgh (May), Berlin, Krakow and Newquay (June).  Also in June, this investment will be strengthened by the arrival of a fourth aircraft to be based at London Southend Airport.

Mr. Aitken added: ""It’s been a monumental year for us; we’ve flown more than 700,000 passengers and have almost doubled the amount of destinations we now operate from the base. We’ve made travelling easy for the 150,000 people of Southend and the surrounding areas across Essex and East London with affordable flights from as little as £26.49. Plus we have ensured our customers are the happiest at London Southend Airport out of all our bases securing an impressive 92% satisfaction rate. We’re fully committed to London Southend Airport and have demonstrated this by investing heavily in new destinations. We’re keen to continue adding more varied routes to our schedule and over the coming weeks we’ll see inaugural flights to Edinburgh, Berlin, Krakow and Newquay take-off. Ultimately our long-term aim at London Southend Airport is simple; to expand our network, bring more competition and lower fares as well as opening up new markets to both our leisure and business travellers.""

To further celebrate the landmark anniversary, easyJet invited local children from Little Havens Hospice to come along to the airport to take part in a paper plane making master class, hosted by world renowned origami artist Mark Bolitho.

Little Havens cares for children from across Essex who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and also offers support for their families. Art and crafts play an important part in the sensory therapies provided by the hospice, giving children with serious illnesses a creative outlet to express themselves.

Participants then entered a paper plane throwing competition to win return flights for a family of four to Faro, the furthest route served from London Southend by easyJet.

Passengers were also treated to complimentary number one shaped birthday cake and champagne throughout the day.

London Southend Airport Managing Director, Alastair Welch, says:

""It has been a fantastic first year with easyJet for all the team at London Southend Aiport, and as recent figures showed our busiest ever. We think our unique promises to passengers – that they should wait no more than four  minutes to go through security and that, on arrival with hand baggage, they are on the rail station platform within 15 minutes of leaving the aircraft - is what is driving more and more passengers to choose London's newest airport. That is why we are currently extending the terminal to ensure that we continue to deliver these high standards of customer service as the airport grows.""

easyJet’s first year at London Southend in numbers

For more information and images please contact for easyJet Dagmar Dua on dagmar.dua.@easyJet.com / 01582 525252/07534 129812.

For London Southend Airport Tracy Jones at Brera PR & Marketing – 01702 216658 / 07887 514984 / tracy@brera-london.com / www.brera-london.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

About easyJet:

easyJet operates Europe's No. 1 air transport network with a leading presence on Europe's top 100 routes and at Europe's 50 largest airports.

easyJet flies over 200 aircraft on more than 600 routes between over 130 airports in 30 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport, more than any other airline.

The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22% less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route.

About London Southend Airport:

Over £100 million has been invested in London Southend Airport by owners Stobart Group since it was acquired in 2008.

New facilities include a train station on the London Liverpool Street (just 53 minutes into the heart of the City), an Air Traffic Control Tower, terminal building, runway extension and radar.

There is also a 4-star Holiday Inn within walking distance of the terminal.

Work on a major extension to the passenger terminal is currently underway; with the first phase – a new Arrivals area - due to open in June 2013, when a 4th easyJet aircraft arrives to be based in Southend. The terminal building is becoming 90 metres longer and will open in phases throughout 2013.

London Southend Airport currently has departures each week to Amsterdam, Alicante, Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Geneva, Ibiza, Jersey, Malaga, Mallorca and Venice from London Southend Airport with easyJet – flights to Edinburgh starts in May, with flights to Berlin, Krakow and Newquay starting in June 2013. More at www.southendairport.com