The first flight from London Southend Airport, operated by easyJet, landed at Malta International Airport yesterday evening, marking the start of the winter season.

The new service will be offered twice weekly, giving travellers planning to fly to and from London more options and flexibility. With the introduction of this new route, Malta International Airport is now connected to five of the British capital’s six international airports.

Last year, Malta International Airport welcomed around 730,000 passengers from London, and easyJet is expecting the new Southend route to be used by more than 30,000 travellers in its first year of operation.

Southend-On-Sea is mostly known for having the world’s longest leisure pier. The town’s airport, London Southend, has also been getting its share of attention, most notably after its 2012 revamp. Being much smaller than its counterparts, London Southend is quite straightforward to navigate.

The journey from Southend to central London takes approximately an hour when using one of the two direct train lines connecting the town to the capital, or two hours when opting for the National Express coach service.

London Southend is the first of five new winter routes on Malta International Airport’s flight schedule for the season, which features a total of 65 destinations.