EasyJet announces new UK destinations as it picks up Stobart routes

(Sharecast News) - Budget airline easyJet on Thursday unveiled 12 new UK domestic services as it looked to capitalise demand for "staycations" after the government extended its Covid lockdown by a month.
The company said it would launch operations from Belfast City to London Gatwick for the first time and return to East Midlands and Leeds Bradford, with new routes which were previously served by Stobart Air, which collapsed last week and It is now being liquidated after failing to find a buyer..

British Airways also said it would pick up ex-Stobart routes - flying from Belfast City Airport to Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Newquay. The airline said it will be running 18 flights a week in total to the destinations using its regional CityFlyer service.

British Airways' sister airline Aer Lingus has also taken over three other ex-Stobart routes from Belfast to Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham. Stobart Air formerly ran Aer Lingus' regional services with a total of 12 routes from Belfast.

EasyJet said it had added 60,000 additional seats to existing routes from Belfast to Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"The flights will provide Brits with more opportunity to reconnect with friends and family across the country or book a long-awaited break and explore more of the UK this summer," the company said in a statement.

Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK manager called on the government to add more countries to the Green list - which allows travellers to return without having to quarantine.