EasyJet will have 10% more seats on sale to and from the UK this year over 2023 at 57 million with the opening of a new base at Birmingham airport.
Four additional aircraft are joining the UK fleet this year with more to be introduced in 2025.
Passenger numbers at Birmingham are expected to be up nearly 60% this year over 2023 with 16 new routes and this summer is also projected to be the biggest ever for easyJet Holidays.
Flights to and from Birmingham are set to carry one of the highest proportions of easyJet Holidays’ customers on the network, with destinations like Majorca, Dalaman, Antalya, Sharm el Sheikh and Tunisia set to be the most popular this summer.
The budget airline plans to launch more routes for winter from Birmingham and elsewhere in the UK in the coming months.
Chief executive Johan Lundgren said: “We are excited to open our newest UK base at Birmingham today, providing more choice, competition and connectivity as well as supporting over 1,200 jobs for the region.
“This base is enabling us to unlock the opportunity of the strong demand which exists for both leisure and business travel, as well as further grow our share of the package holiday market.
“We see much untapped potential at the airport providing the opportunity to grow further in future years.”
Airport chief executive Nick Barton added: “Today sees our growing partnership with EasyJet reach new heights as the airline bases three aircraft here at Birmingham Airport.
“Customers can now take advantage of the airline’s 16 new routes and have the flexibility of flight-only or a full package holiday.”
Meanwhile, Lundgren, in his role as the first chair of Hydrogen in Aviation alliance (HIA), said: “It’s without doubt that the UK is well placed to be a global leader in hydrogen – but the opportunity will be gone if we do not act now to build on all the great work that has already been done.
“The breakthroughs in hydrogen-powered technology happening across the UK are truly astonishing but these advances will be inconsequential if we fail to complement them with the appropriate skills, infrastructure, investment and regulation needed to support hydrogen aviation.”
The alliance issued a report calling for a “comprehensive industrial strategy for aviation” to ensure the UK is a global leader in the development of hydrogen for the sector.
It believes the UK will need to secure “massive increases” in hydrogen supply.
This will involve the accelerated deployment of renewable and low carbon energy generation and “significant investment” in hydrogen infrastructure and skills.
“HIA’s milestone delivery report outlines the critical steps and the timeframe needed to do this and if followed, not only will it create significant wealth, jobs and prosperity across industry and across the UK, it will be a vital component in decarbonising the aviation sector,” Lundgren added.