Southend Airport pitches to ease London congestion

LONDON (Reuters) - The owner of Southend Airport, some 40 miles (65 km) east of London, put the business up for sale on Monday, saying it could be the answer to the capital's air travel problems.

Southend, once London's third busiest airport, went into decline because of repeated proposals for a major new London airport in the Thames Estuary area.

But the government's commitment in 2003 to focus on developing existing airports rather than proceeding with a new greenfield airport, could revive its fortunes, its owner said.

Regional Airports Ltd, which also owns Biggin Hill airport, a key operations room for the Royal Air Force during World War Two, said Southend now needed an owner with the resources and expertise to fulfil its potential.

"(Southend is) well placed to take advantage of the increasingly severe capacity constraints at other London airports," it said in a statement.

"Projected growth in passenger numbers across the UK has increased exponentially and, directly as a result of the Thames Gateway (house building) initiative and 2012 Olympic Games, especially so at London Southend."

Regional Airports said there were already development plans in place for a railway station, a new passenger terminal, a hotel and a car park, we well as plans to extend the runway to make it suitable for European business and leisure travel.

(Reporting by Mark Potter; Editing by David Cowell)