easyJet has announced a significant expansion of its flight network for Summer 2025, unveiling 26 new routes â including a landmark first for the budget airline: its inaugural sub-Saharan service. The expansion, announced on 19 November 2024, significantly boosts easyJet's offering and marks a key strategic development for the airline nearly 30 years after its founding.
A highlight of the expansion is the introduction of flights to Sal, Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of Senegal. These flights, operating three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) from London Gatwick (LGW), commence on 31 March 2025 and will run throughout the summer season. Ali Gayward, easyJet UK Country Manager, expressed the airline's pride in this "milestone route," emphasising the broadened choice for customers seeking both familiar and exciting new travel destinations across Europe and beyond. He highlighted the expansion as offering "more choice for customers to visit more of the places they love."
The announcement encompasses a diverse range of new destinations. Of the 26 new routes, 21 will operate from UK airports. This includes easyJet's first-ever service to Rimini, Italy, also departing from Gatwick. London Luton Airport (LTN) will see expansion with new routes to Almeria, Spain, and Funchal, Madeira, beginning 1 June 2025 and operating on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Manchester Airport (MAN) will welcome five new routes in June 2025, connecting passengers to Izmir, Kalamata, Larnaca, Madrid, and Rome. easyJet's newest UK base at Birmingham Airport (BHX) will add Gran Canaria and Malta to its roster, while Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) will introduce new Spanish routes to Malaga and Palma. Further expansion will see Glasgow Airport (GLA) adding Antalya, Turkey and Reus, Spain, to its destinations, while Edinburgh Airport (EDI) will gain routes to Enfidha, Tunisia; Marrakech, Morocco; and Olbia, Sardinia. Belfast International Airport (BFS) will also join the expansion, adding a twice-weekly service to Reus.
Beyond the UK, the expansion also includes new routes connecting Palma de Mallorca (PMI) to Strasbourg and Palermo, Sicily; Basel to Rimini; Malaga to Marrakech; and Alicante to Athens.
This expansion significantly boosts easyJet's already substantial European short-haul network. The airline's network will now span over 1,000 routes to more than 160 airports across 37 countries. Gayward further emphasised the importance of the UK market to easyJet's growth, stating that the airline operated "more flying than ever before" in the current year. This substantial investment highlights easyJetâs commitment to expanding its reach and providing greater travel opportunities for its customers. The addition of the sub-Saharan route marks a significant step in the airline's ongoing strategy for global expansion.
