EasyJet has announced the opening of a new base at Newcastle Airport. The base is expected to create job opportunities for flight crews, engineers, and pilots. The base will begin operations in March 2026 and will provide low fares and more choice for customers in the North East.
Creating job opportunities
The announcement states that a three-aircraft base is set to open in March 2026 that will support 1,200 jobs in the United Kingdom (UK). EasyJet stated that 130 direct jobs will be created for pilots, flight crews and engineers, supporting a total of 1,200 UK jobs.
Nick Jones, Chief Executive at Newcastle Airport, said:
It is fantastic that easyJet has chosen to open a new base at Newcastle Airport in spring 2026 following such strong demand for flights and package holidays from our passengers. This investment will not only offer greater connectivity with the launch of new routes, but it will also deliver hundreds of thousands of additional low-cost seats and package holidays for our passengers, a significant boost to the local economy by creating high-quality jobs and attracting more inbound visitors to the region. We already know the Airport is a key economic driver for the North East, contributing more than £1 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) each year. The new base will further strengthen our long-standing partnership with easyJet, and we’re excited about the opportunities it will bring to the Airport and the wider region.
Growth within the UK
The announcement mentioned new routes and holiday packages for next summer that will be confirmed next week. The airline already offers flights from Newcastle to Alicante, Amsterdam, Geneva, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Paris, Bristol, and Belfast. The new base at Newcastle will expand the airline’s network from Newcastle and provide services across the North of England and Southern Scotland, improving the UK’s connectivity outside of London.
EasyJet launched a base at London South end and at Birmingham International Airport in March 2024. The opening of the new base is part of the airline’s strategy to take advantage of its growing opportunities within the UK. As the country is the airline’s largest marketplace with 56% of all its customers coming to and from UK airports. EasyJet added seven additional aircraft to its UK fleet this summer supporting the airline’s growth. According to the announcement, this will be the airline’s largest UK flying programme this summer.
Kenton Jarvis, easyJet’s CEO, said:
The UK is an important market for easyJet, and we are excited to be opening yet another UK base, in Newcastle, driven by the demand for our flights and package holidays. This not only consolidates our position as the UK’s largest leisure airline but will create many skilled jobs and provide critical connectivity for the region, playing an important role in enabling vital economic growth for the UK. It’s clear that holidays are increasing in importance and more than ever are a priority for UK consumers. With our unrivalled short-haul network and unique easyJet holidays, we’re able to offer greater choice and value for money, making travel easy for more customers in the North East and beyond — and we look forward to welcoming them on board.
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