easyJet has opened its 11th UK base at Newcastle Airport, supporting 1200 jobs creating 140 direct jobs for pilots and crew.

This marks a continued trajectory of UK growth for the airline as it opens a third base in as many years, having launched bases at Birmingham International in 2024 and London Southend in 2025, fuelled by demand for its flights and holidays across the UK.

The airline is now operating up to 86 flights a week from Newcastle to 22 leisure destinations – an 85% increase compared to last summer.

The base opening has enabled the airline to more than double the number of destinations on its Newcastle Airport network, providing more choice for customers in the North East of England, Southern Scotland, North Yorkshire and Cumbria. This includes new routes taking off from today to Antalya, Corfu, Dalaman, Enfidha, Faro, Lisbon, Malta, Nice, Prague, Reus, Rhodes, Rome, Sharm-El-Sheikh, and Tenerife.

The new base provides over 800,000 seats for holidaymakers planning their getaway for this summer and continues to drive easyJet holidays’ rapid growth, with 2026 set to see biggest ever summer season. Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and Rhodes are currently the most popular destinations for a package holiday from Newcastle Airport this summer.

The airline has continued to grow across UK regions, with eight new Airbus A320 family aircraft joining its UK-based fleet in Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Newcastle. This growth is strengthening vital UK connectivity for both holidaymakers and the more than five million customers travelling for business, while supporting thousands of jobs.

Since 2023 easyJet has grown by nearly a third (31%) at its regional bases, offering over 200 more routes, meaning more UK consumers have even greater connectivity and affordable choice from their local airport.

This year, easyJet has over 60 million seats to and from the UK, up 5% compared to last year.

Kenton Jarvis, easyJet’s CEO, 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. 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.”

North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness said: easyJet’s new base in the region means more choice for North East holidaymakers, but Newcastle Airport isn’t just where holidays begin. It is also one of the busiest gateways to the North East, welcoming tourists and business travellers from across the UK, Europe and beyond. easyJet’s base in Newcastle is a boost of confidence in North East tourism, but importantly, it’s an investment in our people, and boost to good jobs in the supply chain for thousands of local people, from pilots and ground crew, to hospitality workers. Tourism jobs are a key part of our foundational economy. In our countryside, along our coast or in our cities, tourism means jobs at the local level. That’s why tourism is a key part of my growth plans for the region and why I’m pleased to welcome easyJet’s investment back into our region, and the strength in our region’s tourism that it represents.”