EasyJet Announces New Expansion

easyJet has announced its intent to open its UK base at Birmingham International Airport early.

As a result, the company will offer passengers more flights across new routes, enhancing connectivity across the board.

easyJet’s Plans For Birmingham

Utilising Birmingham International Airport as its new base, easyJet says 29 routes will be offered.

This includes flights on their website on 16 new routes that are on sale as early as Thursday, November 30.

Thanks to the commitment and earlier base opening, easyJet will offer service as Europe’s leading airline starting March 18 2024.

Additionally, easyJet plans on basing three new aircraft at the airport. Currently, 13 domestic and international services originate from the airport.

However, thanks to new aircraft being based at the airport, easyJet will now have more options to expand its network, with 29 routes to North Africa, the UK and Europe all slated to feature.

The belief is that easyJet’s new base will be positioned in an optimal location to offer leisure and business travellers what they need.

This is the first new base to be opened in over a decade. As a result, easyJet says that around 100 direct jobs will be created for pilots and crew. Meanwhile, there’ll be over 1,200 jobs indirectly supported thanks to this commitment to Birmingham.

Unpacking The Expansion Plans At easyJet

As part of the newest commitment to Birmingham, easyJet will offer flights to Antalya and Barcelona from March 17 2024. These will be year-round services slated to fly twice and thrice weekly.

March 19 2024, will debut new routes to Alicante and Tenerife, two top-rated destinations on the easyJet network alongside many other carriers. The company says both these routes will operate twice weekly and be year-round.

The expectation is that on March 20 2024, the airline will see Larnaca begin a twice-weekly service through the summer season only. This route should address the growing demand during this period. The service will operate only two times a week.

Meanwhile, on March 21 2024, Malaga and Ehfidha will launch twice-weekly services year-round. Berlin will see a launch on April 1 2024, with a twice-weekly year-round operation.

easyJet notes this will be followed by a new service to Sharm el Sheikh, an Egyptian resort that has significantly grown in popularity over time. A once-weekly, year-round service is expected to commence on April 2 2024.

Jersey flights will begin the same day as service to Sharm el Sheikh with a twice-weekly operation year-round. On April 3 2024, we will see a summer route once weekly to Heraklion.

From April 4, 2024, a new route to Dalaman will commence twice weekly but only during the summer season. The airline notes service to Fuerteventura will also begin on the same day once weekly and year-round.

Rhodes will launch on April 23 2024, with a once-weekly summer service only. Closely followed on May 1 2024, by a summer route to Cofy operating twice weekly. On May 3 2024, Kos will debut with a once-weekly flight during the summer.

Comments From Executive

We are delighted to be opening our Birmingham base early, demonstrating our continued confidence in the region with customers choosing us for our trusted brand, unrivalled network and great value fares. Investing in a ninth base in the UK strengthens easyJet’s network by positioning it as the carrier of choice to serve UK consumers and capture demand for travel, further growing our share of the UK leisure market for both the airline and easyJet holidays.

Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager at easyJet

Antalya, Barcelona, Berlin, Fuerteventura, Enfidha, Sharm el Sheikh, Rhodes, Dalaman, Jersey, Larnaca, Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife, Corfu, Kos and Heraklion – 16 new destinations easyJet will begin serving in the weeks from March 2024 when they open their three-aircraft base at BHX. To say we’re excited is an understatement. This will bring jobs to the region and greater choice for customers, particularly as easyJet holidays cements its place in the Midlands market with great package deals.

Tom Screen, aviation director for Birmingham Airport

The easyJet Fleet

easyJet, per the latest fleet data, operates with 168 in-service aircraft spread across the Airbus A320 family.

The airline still relies heavily on the A320-200, with 76 units in service and one remaining parked. Notably, the company still operates 45 Airbus A319-100s as part of the ceo family.

However, easyJet’s reliance on the next-generation A320neo family is growing and is expected to increase substantially in the future.

Currently, easyJet flies 37 A320neos and 10 A320neos; however, it has three digits’ worth of orders left undelivered for this family of aircraft to power its future fleet.