15 Jul London Southend Airport announces new ‘Terminal Tour’ dates as part of its Connecting Communities Commitment
London Southend Airport welcomed members of the public into the terminal ahead of flights restarting to gather feedback as part of its preparations.
• 100% of attendees said they would feel confident travelling from London Southend Airport
• The majority of attendees stated travelling through security was their favourite part of the trip, describing it as; ‘Very convenient and efficient’, ‘Simple and fast’ and ‘Much easier’.
• The new safety measures also scored highly with feedback including; ‘Phenomenal’, ‘Reassuring’ and ‘Lots of hand sanitising, clear signage’.
• When asked how they would describe London Southend Airport we were overwhelmed with the responses;
“Compact, efficient and relaxing. Great staff, very friendly.”
“Clean, convenient and user friendly”
“The best airport in the London region, keep up all your excellent work, well done”
Glyn Jones, CEO London Southend Airport, “We were pleased to welcome members of the public to our terminal tours. The feedback has been invaluable and we are thrilled that 100% of attendees would feel confident travelling from the airport, underlining the team’s hard work.”
“Whilst the terminal was temporarily closed due to the pandemic, investments were made to further improve the customer experience. As London’s most modern airport, the terminal design and space supports social distancing, there are no transfer buses, parking is a short walk and queuing is kept to a minimum.”
The Terminal Tours allow visitors the opportunity to experience the full passenger journey, from check in and central search, to departures and arriving back through Border Force.
The airport has invested in a wide range of new safety measures, with the safety of passengers and employees its top priority. From hand sanitiser every 20 paces to screens at all face to face locations, new signage, social distancing guides, face coverings and the new trial lane in security allowing liquids and laptops to be left in bags, London Southend Airport aims to offer passengers an exceptionally Covid-safe experience. Safety measures are set to remain in place following 19 July.
The tours received over 200 applications with attendees ranging from couples, to families with young children and elderly guests. The pandemic has caused increased anxiety and the tours attracted groups that would benefit from a trial run without the added pressure of a flight.
The new charity partnership announced yesterday with Mind identifies opportunities to support the community and following the successful terminal tours, further dates have been added encouraging anyone who would like to experience the terminal to apply.
The partnership builds on existing initiatives such as the airport therapy dogs and Blue Band Scheme, launched in 2016 for those who have a hidden disability (or are travelling with someone who has), such as autism, dementia, anxiety or if you are sight or hearing-impaired.
Under the scheme the airport can provide a discreet blue wristband to wear as a subtle sign to our staff that additional support might be required. The wristbands are available free of charge and specialist training for all customer facing staff ensure they can play their part in making sure all passengers can enjoy a stress-free airport experience.
The new Terminal Tour dates are set for Thursday mornings starting from 5th August with slots available from 9am. Limited spaces available. All guests require a valid passport. Interested parties should email LSA.Communications@southendairport.com
