New routes to Brussels and Strasbourg from Gatwick have been confirmed by easyJet.
Both services start from March 30 next year with the Belgian capital to be served twice a day and Strasbourg four times a week.
The two new destinations, along with new routes to Jersey, Paris and Newcastle, are designed to strengthen the carrier’s appeal to business travellers.
The budget airline plans to fly around 1.3 million more passengers a year from March 2014 to and from Gatwick using recently acquired slots from Flybe with around 300,000 expected to be business travellers.
The expansion means that easyJet will offer now offer 107 routes from the airport.
The new schedule is expected to lead to the recruitment of an additional 200 pilots and cabin crew at Gatwick and follows a 50% leap in annual profits.
EasyJet is launching a total of five new routes – Jersey (3 daily), Paris CDG (2 daily), Brussels (2 daily), Newcastle (2 daily), Strasbourg (4 weekly) and is increasing frequency services to Inverness (from 1 to 2 daily), Isle of Man (from 1 to 2 daily), Bordeaux (from 1 to 2 daily), Amsterdam (from 6 to 7 daily) and Geneva (from 6 to 7 daily).
UK commercial manager Hugh Aitken said: “These new routes add even further choice for passengers from easyJet’s largest base at affordable prices and with great service.
“Crucially the acquisition of these new slots enables us to strengthen our already comprehensive range of destinations so choosing easyJet makes even more sense for the millions of business travellers who fly with easyJet from London Gatwick every year.”
Local Crawley MP Henry Smith, said: “These new routes to Brussels and Strasbourg along with increased frequencies to domestic routes and key European cities are not only great news for both business and leisure travellers, but also for Crawley and the southeast region as 200 more pilots and cabin crew will be recruited for these additional services.”