EASYJET has today launched flights on a new domestic route from Leeds Bradford Airport to Belfast International Airport for the first time.

Flights to Belfast are now operating up to four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays throughout the summer with fares starting at £30.99.

The airline says all customers booking flights with it will benefit from some of the most flexible policies under its ‘protection promise’ which means that people can book now for later this year with the confidence that if their plans change, so can their booking.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said:“We are absolutely delighted to be launching flights from Leeds to Belfast for the first time today. We're focused on providing more connectivity for our customers across the UK. This new domestic route will provide convenient direct connections between Northern England and Northern Ireland and will be popular with those travelling for business,

people wishing to reunite with their loved ones or those wanting to enjoy a staycation and explore more of the UK this summer."

John Cunliffe, Aviation and Commercial Director of Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome easyJet to LBA. The route to Belfast International Airport strengthens connectivity between

the Leeds City Region and Northern Ireland, something that will be welcomed by business and leisure travellers across the region. We’re looking forward to giving a warm welcome to our new customers and seeing those orange tail fins back in the sky.”

Under the company's protection promise all easyJet customers will now be able to change their flights this summer without a change fee at any time up to two hours before departure, providing last-minute flexibility. The airline says there are no restrictions on dates or destination, customers can transfer to any flights currently on sale up to the end of September 2022, and to any other destination on the airline’s network which spans 35 countries across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

If some travel restrictions are impacting their destination country, such as self-isolation in destination or on return to the UK, customers will be able to change their trip to another country. Should a mandatory hotel quarantine impact a customer’s travel destination this summer, customers can now request a refund for their flight within four weeks before departure if the restriction is still in place, even if their flights are still operating.

EasyJet says the safety and wellbeing of all customers and crew remain its highest priority and the airline continues to have a number of biological safety measures in place onboard in line with guidance from the relevant authorities.

This includes daily enhanced cabin disinfection which it says is effective in protecting against coronavirus for at least 24 hours and mandatory mask wearing for customers and crew. The company says all easyJet aircraft are already fitted with HEPA filters, similar to those used in hospitals, which filter 99.97 per cent of airborne contaminants in the cabin, including viruses and bacteria.