easyJet has announced further UK growth with plans to open a three-aircraft base at Newcastle Airport in March 2026, creating around 130 direct jobs for pilots, crew and engineers and supporting around 1200* UK jobs in total.

The base opening will enable easyJet to expand its network from Newcastle and serve an extensive catchment area across the North of England and Southern Scotland, helping to support vital UK connectivity outside of London.

easyJet already offers flights and holidays on eight routes from Newcastle to popular beach and city destinations Alicante, Amsterdam, Geneva, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Paris, Bristol and Belfast, and a range of new routes and package holidays for next summer are set to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The opening of an 11th UK base is part of easyJet’s strategy to take advantage of key growth opportunities across its network. The additional base strengthens easyJet’s network by enabling the airline to further grow its share of the UK leisure market and drive easyJet holidays’ rapid growth.

The move signals a continued trajectory of growth in the UK for the airline, having already launched a base at London Southend in March and at Birmingham International Airport last year. In addition to this, seven additional aircraft have joined its UK fleet this summer.

The UK is easyJet’s largest market with 56% of all easyJet customers flying to and from UK airports. The airline is set to operate its biggest ever UK flying programme this summer with over 33 million seats – half a million more than last year – and 44 new routes including three new network points, fuelled by strong demand for easyJet’s flights and package holidays.

Kenton Jarvis, easyJet’s CEO, said: “The UK is an important market for easyJet, and we are excited to be opening yet another UK base, in Newcastle, driven by the demand for our flights and package holidays.

“This not only consolidates our position as the UK’s largest leisure airline but will create many skilled jobs and provide critical connectivity for the region, playing an important role in enabling vital economic growth for the UK.

“It’s clear that holidays are increasing in importance and more than ever are a priority for UK consumers. With our unrivalled short-haul network and unique easyJet holidays, we’re able to offer greater choice and value for money, making travel easy for more customers in the North East and beyond - and we look forward to welcoming them onboard.”

Nick Jones, Chief Executive at Newcastle Airport, said: “It is fantastic that easyJet has chosen to open a new base at Newcastle Airport in spring 2026 following such strong demand for flights and package holidays from our passengers.

"This investment will not only offer greater connectivity with the launch of new routes, but it will also deliver hundreds of thousands of additional low-cost seats and package holidays for our passengers; a significant boost to the local economy by creating high-quality jobs and attract more inbound visitors to the region.

“We already know the Airport is a key economic driver for the North East, contributing more than £1 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) each year.

“The new base will further strengthen our long-standing partnership with easyJet and we’re excited about the opportunities it will bring to the Airport and the wider region.”

Aviation Minister Mike Kane, said: “This is fantastic news for the North East and Newcastle Airport, as one of our important regional airports – not only will it provide good jobs for local people and help boost the economy, it also means families will have more holiday destinations to choose from.

“This is exactly the kind of growth we want to see in the sector, so that the UK becomes one of the best places in the world to fly, and we will continue to support industry to make this happen.”

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, said: “We are backing Newcastle International Airport to grow jobs and our tourism market, so this announcement is brilliant news on both counts.

“easyJet’s new base will provide more destinations for holidaymakers, create 130 new jobs directly and more than 1,000 jobs at the airport and in the wider economy, and help businesses grow and connect with global markets.

“This expansion further strengthens the Airport’s position as a major gateway to the world in North East England.”

A survey of 2000 British consumers by the airline earlier this month revealed that holidays continue to increase in importance for UK households, with 89% saying a holiday is one of their most important plans for 2025 and nearly two thirds of us (63%) more likely to travel abroad in 2025 than last year.

91% of British consumers intend to book a holiday for 2025 and 88% are prioritising holidays as their main spend after bills, up from 77% in 2024. To help keep costs down, 74% say they are more likely to travel short haul in 2025.

Over three quarters (77%) plan to go on the same number or more holidays vs last year, with 82% saying they plan to spend the same or increase spend on holidays, up from 73% in 2024.

easyJet is the largest leisure airline in the UK and employs over 14,000 people across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  The UK is easyJet’s single largest market, where it currently operates 10 bases at London Gatwick, London Luton, London Southend, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast.

easyJet was founded in the UK, launching operations nearly 30 years ago. Since then, the airline has flown over 800 million customers and is set to operate 100m seats this year. The airline now serves 21 UK airports offering over 500 routes from the UK to over 120 destinations in 30 countries across Europe and North Africa.