Low-cost airline easyJet is to introduce direct flights from Bristol Airport to four destinations including Gibraltar next year, taking the number of destinations it serves from the airport to 50.
The new destinations follow a five-year agreement between easyJet and Bristol Airport signed last winter to continue the airline’s growth at the airport. As a result, an extra aircraft will be based at the airport from next summer, taking easyJet’s total to 12. 
EasyJet is already Bristol Airport’s largest airline. The new destinations are Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, which will be served by a year-round twice-weekly service starting on April 18.
Flights to Porto, one of Bristol’s twin towns, will start the following day. It will also be a year-round service, flying three times a week from 19 April 2015.
The service to Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, will be twice-weekly in the summer only starting on May 14.
The Bristol-Gibraltar service, which also starts on April 19, will be the first time the airport has had a direct service to the British Mediterranean territory.
EasyJet expects the route to be popular with business people and tourists – as well as being a popular holiday destination, Gibraltar is also a financial services centre with strong links to the West of England’s banking and insurance industries.
The flight time, at just over two-and-a-half hours, will be the shortest between any UK city and Gibraltar. EasyJet already operates the route from London Gatwick, which takes just over three hours, while British Airways has a direct, full-cost service from Heathrow taking just under three hours.
EasyJet UK commercial manager Ali Gayward said: “As Bristol’s largest airline, and our biggest UK operation outside of London, we are pleased to continue our growth at the airport and add these new and exciting routes to our network.
“We’re committed to making it even more easy and affordable for travellers across the South West to fly to great destinations, whether it be for leisure or business. We’re constantly listening to the feedback from our customers and are confident that these new routes will prove popular with passengers.”
Destination Bristol head of tourism Kathryn Davis added: “The announcement of additional flights provides further opportunities for in-bound tourists visiting the area. We are delighted that we will once again establish a route between Bristol and our twin city of Porto. This is an excellent way to celebrate 30 years of the partnership between the two cities and make Bristol more accessible to Portuguese visitors.”
The Gibraltar route was announced by easyJet, Gibraltar tourism chiefs and Bristol Airport bosses earlier this week at World Travel Market, the UK’s leading travel exhibition.
Welcoming the route, Bristol Airport aviation director Shaun Browne said: “Bristol Airport is delighted to play its part in extending the air links between the UK and Gibraltar. Plymouth has a strong connection to Gibraltar through its rich naval and marine industry history and, more recently, the financial services sector plays an important role in both our economies.
“This new flight will provide easy access and improve connections for both business and leisure passengers. We are pleased that Bristol Airport can contribute to the strengthening of ties between Gibraltar and the UK.”
Tickets on the new routes are now on sale on easyJet’s website with prices for Lanzarote and Catania starting at £34.99 one way and those for Gibraltar and Porto from £32.99 one way.
