“We've got great beaches, have got great cities, we've got amazing countryside and the warmest welcome in the world,” says North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, at a major tourism boost that took off in the region today.

Meaning more flights, routes and jobs, easyJet launched its new base at Newcastle Airport.

L-R Cllr Tracey Dixon (Leader of South Tyneside Council) Nick Jones (CEO Newcastle airport ) Kenton Jarvis (CEO easyJet) Kim McGuinness (North East Mayor) and Paul Bixby( chief commercial officer ) | Owen Humphreys/PA

placeholder image — L-R Cllr Tracey Dixon (Leader of South Tyneside Council) Nick Jones (CEO Newcastle airport ) Kenton Jarvis (CEO easyJet) Kim McGuinness (North East Mayor) and Paul Bixby( chief commercial officer ) | Owen Humphreys/PA

The three-aircraft base, home to a trio of Airbus A320s, will support around 1,200, jobs including 140 direct jobs for pilots and cabin crew and is the 11th easyJet base in the UK.

For passengers, it means more choice with the base enabling the airline to double the amount of destinations on its Newcastle network, with new easyJet routes now available to Antalya, Corfu, Dalaman, Enfidha, Faro, Lisbon, Malta, Nice, Prague, Reus, Rhodes, Rome, Sharm-El-Sheikh, and Tenerife.

Since 2023, easyJet has grown by nearly a third in the UK regions, with this summer predicted to be its biggest yet.

Speaking at the launch, Mayor of the North East, Kim McGuinness, said: “What this means is 14 new flights, which is great for people who want to go on holiday from the region.

“But more importantly, for me, this is an opportunity to say to people in those 14 new places the North East is an amazing place.

“We've got great beaches, have got great cities, we've got amazing countryside and the warmest welcome in the world.

“And so what we want is to be welcoming more of those people into our region, to enjoy what we've got here and to grow our tourist economy.”

Kenton Jarvis, CEO at easyJet, which last year celebrated 30 years of low-cost flying, said: “I am incredibly proud to be opening our new base at Newcastle today — a significant milestone that underlines our continued growth and investment in the UK regions.

“By strengthening connectivity from Newcastle, we are providing more choice and great value fares, while making it easier for people to travel to a wide range of destinations from their local airport.

A press conference was held at Newcastle Airport on March 23 to officially launch the base | Owen Humphreys/PA

“Aviation plays a vital role in enabling economic growth, and this new base will support skilled jobs, boost regional connectivity and help drive prosperity here in the North East and beyond.

“Through our expanding fleet, unrivalled short-haul network and unique easyJet holidays offering we are continuing to capture the opportunities we see in the UK and reinforce our position as the largest UK airline, ensuring travel remains easy, accessible and affordable for more people.”

Nick Jones, Newcastle Airport’s CEO, said: “The launch of easyJet’s new base is fantastic news for Newcastle Airport and the wider North East region.

“With flights now operating to 22 destinations, the base provides even more choice for passengers with over 800,000 seats available this summer and further strengthens the Airport’s largest ever flight programme.

“It also delivers substantial economic benefits through the creation of high-quality jobs, will help attract more inbound visitors to the region and build on the significant contribution the Airport already makes to the regional economy, generating more than £1 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) each year.

“easyJet’s investment is a huge vote of confidence in the Airport and the North East and it will play a vital role in helping us meet the growing demand for flights and package holidays as we prepare for our busiest year on record, with six million passengers expected.”