Leisure airline Jet2.com has added further to its Stansted schedule for summer 2018, with three new routes and extra flights to nine other destinations.

East Anglian Daily Times: Andrew Cowan, chief executive of Stansted Airport, left, with and Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, at the announcement of Jet2's plans to start flying from Stansted. Picture: Tony PickAndrew Cowan, chief executive of Stansted Airport, left, with and Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, at the announcement of Jet2's plans to start flying from Stansted. Picture: Tony Pick (Image: Tony Pick)

Jet2.com and is sister package holiday company Jet2holidays will now also fly to Malta, Naples and Nice next summer, bringing its total number of destinations from Stansted for the season to 33.

And the airline, which only began flying from Stansted earlier this year, will also operate additional flights on other routes including Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Dubrovnik, Girona, Gran Canaria, Menorca, Paphos and Verona.

The latest expansion will add a further 200,000 seats to Jet2.com’s capacity at Stansted for summer 2018, taking the total to more than 1.4m seats – an increase of around 60% compared with this summer.

To support this growth another additional aircraft will come into operation at Stansted, meaning that 10 Jet2 aircraft will operate from the airport during summer 2018 compared with seven this summer.

East Anglian Daily Times: Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, at the launch of flights from Stansted Airport. Picture: Professional Images/@ProfImagesSteve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, at the launch of flights from Stansted Airport. Picture: Professional Images/@ProfImages (Image: ©2017 Professional Images (UK) Ltd. Free for use.)

Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “We have experienced a fabulous response to our award-winning flights and holidays since putting our Summer ’18 programme on sale from London Stansted Airport.

“Our fantastic sun and city destinations, alongside our industry-leading customer service, are proving to be extremely popular with customers, and on the back of that demand it makes sense to provide customers with even more choice and flexibility.

“With 33 destinations on sale, in just our second summer of operations, this reflects the confidence we have at our newest base, where our offer of real package holidays is making us a huge hit with customers.”

Andrew Cowan, Stansted Airport chief executive, added: “Today’s announcement is yet more fantastic news from Jet2.com and Jet2holidays for passengers from across the East of England and London wishing to fly from London Stansted, and comes hot on the heels of the announcement just weeks ago of an already extended Summer ’18 programme.

East Anglian Daily Times: Andrew Cowan, Stansted Airport chief executive, and Steve Heapy, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive, with members of the Jet2 team before the operator's first flight from Stansted earlier this year. Picture: Tony PickAndrew Cowan, Stansted Airport chief executive, and Steve Heapy, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive, with members of the Jet2 team before the operator's first flight from Stansted earlier this year. Picture: Tony Pick (Image: © 2017 Tony Pick)

“We know Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have already proved to be incredibly popular with passengers this summer and these exciting new destinations and further increase in flights to some of the top holiday hotspots is another reflection of the strength of demand that exists across the region and a real vote of confidence in London Stansted.”