AN AIRLINE has announced plans to move its flights from London City to Southend Airport.

Swiss-owned SkyWork Airlines says it will be switching its twice-daily flights from the Swiss capital, Bern, to the UK from London City Airport to Southend in October.

Announcing its winter schedule, the airline described Southend as “customer-friendly”, citing its peak-time eight train connections an hour to the centre of London as a major reason it is moving.

Graham Longley, councillor responsible for enterprise, tourism and economic regeneration, welcomed the news as a boost for the airport and the local economy.

He said: “It’s good to see the airport is continuing to keep up its level of success.

“I welcome all new services.

People will be able to go even further from Southend.

“The airport continues to have a positive impact on the local economy. The important thing is it is very much a question of people flying out of the airport at the moment, but we want to see people flying back into the town as well.

“We are working with people on that basis.”

SkyWork flies from Bern to nine European destinations in the winter – Cologne/Bonn, London, Munich Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna, In the summer, it also flies to Palma in Majorca.

Announcing its schedule, the airline said: “SkyWork Airlines has taken another important step towards a sustainable future and offers attractive connections to major European cities.”

All flights will be bookable online at flyskywork.com No one was available from Southend Airport to comment on the announcement.