easyJet has announced 10 new routes for next year including three from the UK to Cagliari, Helsinki and Malta.

The 10 additional services take the total of easyJet routes to 449, across 112 airports in 28 countries.

The news comes at the same time as bmi has announced it will be axing five of its routes early next year.

EasyJet recently warned of a “tough winter ahead” as it unveiled a 65 percent slump in annual pre-tax profits.

The budget carrier citied a fall in demand due to rising unemployment coupled with poorly-timed fuel hedging for a profit fall to £43.7m in the 12 months to September 30 from £123.1m last year.

There had been speculation that it may be forced to cut capacity or trim expansion plans as a result.

However, the planned delivery of six new Airbus 319s has made the new routes possible, and brings the easyJet fleet to 185 aircraft.

The Cagliari, Sardinia, service launches daily from Stansted on 28 March.

The Manchester–Helsinki four times a week service also starts on 28 March.

The Liverpool–Malta service will launch on 13 June, with two flights at week.

The other new routes are from Paris to Helsinki, Catania, and Agadir; and from Milan to Casablanca, Agadir, Malta and Oporto.

• easyJet has recently been caught up in a controversy surrounding a fashion shoot in its in-flight magazine shot in the Holocaust Museum.
The airline was forced to pull the magazine following outcry from passengers, in particular on its Tel Aviv route.