EasyJet is poised to establish new routes to Southampton and Hurghada as the budget airline marked 25 years of operations from Belfast international airport.
The domestic connection to Southampton is introduced on October 29 with up to three flights a week.
The first link between Belfast and Egypt starts on October 31 with year-round weekly flights to the Red Sea resort.
They follow new routes to Antalya and Rhodes added in the past year with an eighth Airbus A320 based at Belfast International.
This enabled the carrier to run its largest summer flying programme from Belfast with 9.4% more capacity than pre-pandemic, flying 3.2 million seats to and from the airport.
EasyJet’s first flight from Belfast to Luton airport was operated in 1998 and the airline has since flown more than 70 million passengers to and from Northern Ireland, with 4.5 million flown in the past year.
UK country manager Ali Gayward said: “For over two decades we are proud to have served millions of customers flying from Belfast International, where we have grown to become the largest airline not just as the airport but in Northern Ireland, with customers choosing us for our unrivalled network, fantastic service and great value fares.
“And our continued success at Belfast International is testament to the strong demand we see for travel, coupled with the importance of the UK market in supporting our profitable growth.”
Airport managing director Graham Keddie added: “EasyJet revolutionised air travel when they arrived at Belfast international airport 25 years ago.
“They have become an integral part of the airport’s growth in that time, bringing unrivalled connectivity, significant investment and providing employment to hundreds of people.
“We look forward to the launch of new routes later this month to both Hurghada and Southampton and also to working alongside them on further developments.”