
Airline Flybe has announced it is to make Belfast City Airport its second main base of operations in the UK.
The airline is headquartered in Birmingham.
Flybe said that it has plans to rapidly grow the business both creating more jobs and more flights as the summer progresses.
Next week, a number of routes and flights to destinations are set to go on sale in a bid to “restart the economy”.
Flybe CEO, Dave Pflieger, said: “Next week is going to be an exciting time for customers and communities that have been waiting to hear from us about low fares, new routes, and new destinations—all of which are being timed to coincide with the restart of the economy and a return to normality after two difficult years for all.
“As you’ve heard, our team has been working hard for over a year and a half to bring customers a new airline that people will love, and we are particularly excited to be flying to Belfast City Airport and serving Northern Ireland.
“Once we start flying from Birmingham, Belfast, and many other cities in the UK and EU, we are confident that a new and improved Flybe will provide customers with great value, more choices, and the opportunity to quickly and more conveniently visit loved ones, go on holiday, and more easily visit customers or attend important meetings.
“Given that goal, Flybe hopes to do its part to help communities across the country bounce back from the dramatic impact of the global pandemic.”