UK budget airline easyJet is opening a three-A320neo aircraft base at London Southend next March. 

The move follows the launch of a base at Birmingham International Airport in March.

The airline will do more UK flying than ever before this year, with over 57 million seats – a 10 per cent increase on last year – and has launched 70 new routes from the UK, fuelled by strong consumer demand.

The airline serves international routes from London Southend to popular beach and city destinations Amsterdam, Geneva, Faro, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Paris Charles de Gaulle and has flown over seven million customers from London Southend since operations began in 2012.

The planned addition of more aircraft will enable the carrier to launch six new routes to Pisa, Gran Canaria, Dalaman and Antalya, Marrakech as well as Enfidha in Tunisia.