A MAJOR regional airport in the UK has launched its largest ever flight schedule as it prepares for its busiest year yet.
Newcastle Airport is expecting to see six million passengers this year, as it adds 19 new routes.
New destinations include Lisbon and Porto in Portugal; Nice in France; Palermo in Italy and Preveza in Greece.
A number of flight routes are also returning to the airport including Berlin in Germany; Copenhagen in Denmark and Enfidha in Tunisia.
And there will be services to:
- Malta
- Antalya
- Malaga
- Alicante
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Paris
- Faro
- Geneva
- Paphos
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Of the new routes, easyJet will start flights to Nice, France in March 2026 and Malta this summer.
The airline will also start flights to Faro in Portugal between March and October and to Enfidha, Tunisia, flights will begin in time for summer.
Jet2 will start operating flights to Preveza, Greece in May 2026, for the summer season and flights to Palermo, Sicily from May too, with weekly flights until November.
The airline will also launch its first flights to Porto in Portugal in May, running for the summer season until October.
The airport also recently announced that easyJet is launching new routes to Lisbon and Rome Fiumicino.
The two routes will launch this summer with the Newcastle to Rome route starting on March 30 and the Newcastle to Lisbon route starting on June 22.
Both new routes will operate on Mondays and Fridays.
Leon McQuaid, director of Aviation Development at Newcastle Airport, said: “Lisbon is a brand-new destination from Newcastle Airport and one we’ve been keen to deliver for the region on the back of strong customer demand and feedback, so it’s fantastic to see flights and package holidays now on sale, alongside easyJet’s new route to Rome.”
“With just two months to go until easyJet opens its new base, this investment is not only delivering exciting new routes but will also bring significant economic benefits to the North East, including creating 130 direct jobs and supporting around 1200 UK jobs in total as well as attracting more visitors to the region.”
The new routes come as the airport expects 120,000 passengers this half-term, which is a 10 per cent increase compared to last year.
In total, over 750 flights will arrive and depart the airport, with popular destinations including Alicante, Antalya, Dubai and Tenerife.
Ski trips are also expected to be popular, with families heading to Chambery, Grenoble and Geneva.
The new routes are part of a wider £60million investment plan at the airport, which will see facilities updated as well as a larger departure lounge and international arrivals baggage hall.
In the departures lounge, there will be more seating areas, toilets and additional food and drink spots.
The three-storey terminal expansion will also have a new security search area with extra check-in desks and new self-service bag drop counters.
By 2040, the airport hopes to welcome nine million passengers a year.
In other aviation news, the 37 new flights launching from a major UK airport this year, including budget routes to Asia and Jet2’s first ever.
Plus, four-hour airport queues set to cause chaos for Brits this summer.