Package holiday and tour operator Jet2 is opening a new hub - it's tenth in the UK - at Bristol Airport.

The company will base three aircraft at the site for the summer of 2021, it told travel industry site TTG, and will be operating up to 56 flights a week.

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 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.

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Dave Lees, Bristol airport chief executive, added: “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."

Jet2’s inaugural flight is scheduled to depart from Bristol for Lanzarote on April 1 next year.