The Government has announced it has given Stobart Air a slice of £7million to fund daily flights from Southend to Carlisle.
The announcement was made as part of the Autumn Statement, after Carlisle Airport, bid for cash to fund the route for three years.
Carlisle Airport, which is also owned by Stobart Air, which operates Southend Airport, is hoping to have passenger flights up and running by summer 2016.
But when the upgrades are completed, the airport will be offering twice daily return flights to Southend.
Flights will be timed to allow passengers and tourists to spend time in London via Southend.
The Government made the cash available to five routes, including Carlisle to Ireland and Northern Ireland, as part of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
Open to airports taking less than five million annual passengers, it will fund routes for three years and then leave the airports to take control of financing them.
Stobart will operate the Carlisle to Southend route, it is understood.
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