The London City airport consortium has bid for England's east coast Southend airport and plans to develop corporate aviation after purchase. The consortium includes AIG, Global Infrastructure Partners, Greenhill and John Laing Projects.

"The consortium's intention will be to replicate the success of the London City airport model at Southend," according to the consortium. Other plans include investment in terminal and runway facilities and a long awaited airport rail station. The consortium adds: "The success of London City has encouraged businesses and investors to locate in East London, safeguarding the economic prosperity of the area. Currently there are some 2,000 jobs on site at London City with over 45 separate employers needing a wide variety of skills levels, including high tech jobs."

Companies based at Southend include Centreline Air Charter, Cheqair, Flightline, Flywatch Air Services, Kudos Aviation, TransEuro Air and Xclusive Jet Charter. Among the nearest airports to Southend are London City which is 24 n.m. away and London Biggin Hill which is almost as close.

London Southend is 49 minutes by train from London's business district and 42 minutes from the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. Last year London City, acting as part of a consortium led by U.K. construction and services company Balfour Beatty, won a tender to acquire Exeter airport in the southwest of the UK. Analysts say Southend would, therefore, benefit from network potential and could attract private aviation companies.

Zurich headquartered Execujet Aviation Group, meanwhile, has pledged to expand using the injection of capital resulting from businessman Dermot Desmond's acquisition of a majority shareholding. Desmond, who acquired London City airport in October 1995 and sold it in November 2006, has been appointed as Execujet chairman. Execujet's ceo Niall Olver is on record as saying: "Further significant investment is planned to fuel the company's global business growth plans. We expect the appointment to help us take the company to the next stage."