City Airport has sights on Southend

By Rob Virtue on March 20, 2008 10:29 AM |

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LONDON City Airport is looking to expand its business portfolio after making an offer for Southend airfield.

The Royal Docks group revealed this week it has made a bid for the site, reported to be about £100million.

Although she would not confirm the amount, a spokeswoman for City Airport said: “We have put a bid in. Southend is of particular interest to us because of the shortage of airports in the south east.

“We have the expertise in the Thames Gateway region and when you take that into account it becomes an even more interesting proposition.

“We believe we’ve got the knowledge in working with airports to make Southend even more successful.”

The offer has been put together by London City’s owners AIG and Global Infrastructure Partners.

However, Regional Airports, which owns the Southend aerodrome, said competition is high for the purchase.

Robert Pugsley, account executive at College Hill Associates, the public relations group dealing with the sale, said: “There’s been significant interest from quite a few parties.

“We are currently receiving first round bids and we are looking to put together a list over the next few weeks.”

Mr Pugsley added that the choice of new owners will not just depend on which group puts together the highest bid. “It’s not just about money,” he said.

“The people who own the airport have had it for a significant time but never had the investment capabilities they would have liked.

“They want to see their dream come true – for it to be taken forward and turned into a much larger airport.”

Regional Airports is expected to use the proceeds from the sale to upgrade Biggin Hill airport in Greater London.

The Southend Airport currently has flights to Jersey, with routes to Le Touquet, Bruges/Ostend and Calais being planned for later this year.

rob.virtue@wharf.co.uk