Bristol Airport has hailed an "exciting" new opportunity for travellers after budget airline Jet2 announced it would be setting up a new hub at its terminal.
The low-cost tour operator and package holiday provider has announced it will be basing three airlines at Bristol Airport throughout the summer of 2021.
It is expected the company will operate up to 56 flights a week from the terminus, reports Business Live.
Dave Lees, Bristol airport chief executive, hailed a "major step towards the future" for the airport, as well as increasing the range of travel options available to Bristol Airport customers.
He said: "Never has the time been more important for the region to look to the future in a post-Covid world, and Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have shown the confidence in the strength of the region to open up their tenth UK operating base at Bristol airport.
"This exciting news is a major step towards the future by creating job opportunities, providing significant investment and an increase in the choice of destinations and holidays available to customers in the region."
The holiday operator said it would be flying to 33 destinations, across mainland Spain, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Portugal.
The move will create 200 new jobs, including flight and cabin crew roles, as well as posts in engineering and ground operations, according to travel industry site TTG.
Jet2 said it would be assigning a dedicated trade sales executive to the region, too.
Steve Heapy, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive, told TTG: “This is an incredibly exciting day for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays as we expand our award-winning flights and holidays to Bristol airport.
"We know how much demand there is, because we have been listening to customers and independent travel agents in the region for some time. We are delighted to be bringing them the news they have been looking forward to."
Jet2 said it would also be launching four summer routes that would be exclusive to Bristol airport – to Izmir, in Turkey; Kalamata and Lesvos, in Greece; and Costa de Almeria in Spain.
It will also offer three-weekly ski flights for winter 2021/22 - to Geneva, in Switzerland; Grenoble, in France; and Salzburg, in Austria. There will also be a weekly flight to Paphos, in Cyprus, it said.
Jet2’s inaugural flight is scheduled to depart from Bristol for Lanzarote on April 1 next year.
