EasyJet has announced that it will introduce extra flights from Belfast International Airport for a number of routes from October, including those to Edinburgh, London and Manchester.

Northern Ireland’s largest airline will also launch its first service from Belfast International Airport to Birmingham on 22 October. All other changes will be effective from 28 October.

With its Edinburgh service expansion, the airline’s Monday flights will increase from three to four; those on Tuesday and Wednesday will increase from two to three. There will be three flights to Manchester on Monday, Thursday and Friday – up from the current two daily flights.

For the airline’s four London destinations (Gatwick, Luton, Southend and Stansted), there will be extra flights on weekday mornings and evenings.

Ali Gayward, commercial manager at easyJet, said:

Our aim has always been to make travel easy and affordable and we remain committed to Northern Ireland. We are adding these extra flights in response to increasing customer demand for easyJet services.

Edinburgh and Manchester are important centres for the business community and also for leisure travellers, including people going there for our popular city breaks. We operate up to 13 flights daily from Belfast to London, significantly more than any other airline, but demand is such that the extra morning and evening flights are essential.

easyJet’s recently launched fourth route to London – London Southend – has already proved extremely popular, with a direct train link taking passengers to Liverpool Street Station and the City of London in under 55 minutes. Also, easyJet is now the only airline on the Belfast [to] Bristol route and has increased capacity through using larger aircraft.

Uel Hoey, business development director at Belfast International Airport, said:

We very much appreciate easyJet’s long-established commitment to developing its service and providing stability for millions of Northern Ireland air travellers over the years. We are delighted that the airline is again demonstrating a willingness to explore new horizons in support of Northern Ireland’s economic growth.

Gayward added:

There has been a warm welcome for our new flexi fares, which give passengers unlimited flexibility to change the date of their flights up to two hours before the scheduled departure time. We are also trialing allocated seating.