EasyJet announces new Gatwick services as Aer Lingus cuts back

Budget airline easyJet (www.easyjet.com) has announced it will offer more flights from London Gatwick this spring as rival airline Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) confirmed that it will scale down its service from the UK airport.

EasyJet will base three more aircraft at Gatwick from the summer, which will be used to operate new routes.

The airline, which already has 40 aircraft stationed at Gatwick, said it would reveal which new routes it will be adding to its network 'within the next few weeks'. New services are likely to start in May.

Irish carrier Aer Lingus is taking away two of the five aircraft it has at Gatwick from the end of March, blaming 'weak consumer demand and continuing challenges in the UK operating environment' for the decision.

The airline has not dropped any routes however. The three remaining aircraft will continue to serve Malaga, Dublin and Knock from Gatwick, from where Aer Lingus will also start a new service to Cork.

EasyJet has launched an advertising campaign in which it claims its flights from Gatwick are up to £100 cheaper each way than Aer Lingus', which launched its low-cost services out of Gatwick a year ago.

EasyJet is currently offering up to 25 per cent off all flights from February 5 to July 14 but you'll have to hurry - the sale ends at midnight on Tuesday. And if you miss it? Don't worry, there's bound to be another along soon!

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