BAVARIA’S fairytale capital Munich is the latest destination for passengers at Southend Airport.

Croatian airline Sea Air, which announced flights between Southend and the Croatian city of Osijek in January, has begun selling daily flights to Germany’s third largest city beginning on Monday, May 9.

The 90-minute flights to the city, which has the strongest economy in Germany and is the economic centre of the south of the country, will cost holidaymakers and business people only €190 – or £150 – for a return ticket and leave Southend at 7.30am, leaving Munich at 10.45am Monday to Saturday and 10pm on Sundays.

Essex Chamber of Commerce director David Burch said the move showed confidence in Southend’s growing airport hub and would benefit business in the town.

He said: “I think it’s still more evidence of the confidence that airlines have in Southend Airport and obviously that’s going to be extremely beneficial.

“One good point for Southend is it’s very easy to get to and from London and there’s a train station right on the doorstep of the airport – so people can get there and walk off the train to the airport terminal.

“I’m sure it will be a of real interest to business people based in the City that they can get to Southend really easily by train and into the heart of Germany.”

Renata Harrington, who founded the Southend German Circle in 1999, said she would be mentioning the new route to the “lovely” city to her members at their next club meeting.

She added: “I probably won’t make use of it because I don’t have any family and no reason to go there, as I’m Austrian, so I used to use to line to my hometown of Graz but they don’t do it anymore.

“But many of our members are people who have worked in Germany and learned German but don’t want to lose it - and Munich is lovely, I’ve been several times, so I will mention it at our next club night.”

Sea Air operates three Boeing 737 aircraft and one EMB 190 which are maintained in Germany.

The airliner’s flights from Southend to Osijek, Croatia’s fourth largest city, were billed to begin today when they were announced in January, but has since been moved to Thursday, May 12.

The weekly flights leave Southend at 7.30am and arrive three and a half hours later.

However Southend Airport said the route had not yet been confirmed.