Teesside airport has been connected to Corfu for the first time in 12 years with the start of a Ryanair summer service.
Flights will operate on Wednesdays until the end of October.
Corfu joins Alicante, Faro and Palma added by the budget carrier from the north-east airport.
It is the first time the area has had a direct connection to Corfu since Thomson Holidays’ flights in 2009.
More: KLM to relaunch Teesside-Amsterdam service
Corfu remains on the government’s amber list for international travel.
But the recent relaxation of restrictions means people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and who have had their second jab at least 14 days before travel can fly to those countries without having to self-isolate on their return to the UK. Arrivals will still have to take a PCR test on or before day two of their arrival.
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said: “This is the last summer service that Ryanair had to launch from our airport, and like Faro it’s an absolute bonus thanks to the brilliant uptake in flights to Alicante and Palma.
“Ryanair originally came to us with two routes and managed to announce two more, even in the face of a global pandemic.
“Since buying our airport and saving it from closure I’ve always said, ‘use it or lose it’ and I’m thrilled that it’s clear people do want to be able to back our local airport.
“We’ve invested in our terminal upgrade to make it even better, smoother and more kitted out than ever before and recruited dozens of new staff to improve the passenger experience, and this is paying off.
“This has been a difficult 18 months and now people from across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool have a large slate of international and domestic flights for a well-deserved break.”
He added: “We’re not slowing down as we continue to attract more routes and airlines and we can all look forward to an even bigger and better summer 2022.”