easyJet began operations at its new base at Birmingham Airport, the airline’s ninth base in the UK, and the first new UK base in more than a decade, creating 140 jobs for pilots and crew, and supporting almost 1,200 jobs in total. The opening of the new base marks the start of a new era of expansion for the company in the UK, easyJet is the fastest growing airline in the UK for this summer.
With flights to the UK now accounting for 56% of easyJet’s total operations, the low cost carrier will add four additional aircraft to the UK fleet. The airline will offer for sale more than 57 million seats to and from the UK, an increase of 10% compared to the same period last year.
Birmingham provides easyJet with further opportunities for growth in the Midlands, a key part of the low-cost airline’s strategy. Not only will the aircraft contribute to UK domestic connectivity out of London, but each UK-based aircraft will directly support 400 jobs and £27 million of gross value added (GVA) in the UK.
The new base will provide easyJet with the opportunity to capture strong demand from leisure and package holiday markets. The low cost carrier has more than tripled the airline’s leisure market share in Birmingham this summer compared to last year.
With non-stop connections between Birmingham and airports in major European cities such as Amsterdam, Geneva, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Berlin Brandenburg, the new base will also serve the airline’s millions of business travelers to and from the UK each year.
It is estimated that easyJet’s passenger numbers at Birmingham will increase by around 60% in 2024 compared to last year. Flights to and from Birmingham are set to mobilize one of the largest proportions of easyJet Holidays customers with destinations such as Mallorca, Dalaman, Antalya, Sharm el Sheikh and Tunisia being the most popular for this summer.
“Our growing partnership with easyJet reaches new heights today as the airline has installed three aircraft at Birmingham Airport. Customers can now take advantage of the airline’s 16 new routes and enjoy the flexibility of flying solo or a complete package vacation. easyJet has been a partner airline for 17 years. Their expansion here at Birmingham Airport is testament to the service, quality, price, reliability and choice of destinations that their customers have come to expect,” said Nick Barton, Managing Director of Birmingham Airport.
See also: easyJet celebrates flying five million passengers at Birmingham airport
