easyJet has announced the launch of a new base in Nantes, France, from spring next year.

The airline has flown to and from Nantes since 2008 and this latest launch will mean more choice for people living in the west of France.

This will also benefit to business travellers, currently representing 27 per cent of the airline’s customers on domestic routes, who will enjoy more options for day return trips and satisfy the existing 35 per cent short breakers with more destinations for week-ends in Europe.

The opening of the Nantes base with its three aircraft will bring easyJet’s total capacity in France to more than 22 million seats including 1.8 million seats in Nantes, representing an extra 400,00 seats locally.

Johan Lundgren, chief executive of easyJet, commenting on the new base said: “France continues to be a central part of the easyJet strategy and it is the largest market in terms of bases outside of the UK.

“The local market’s maturity, along with customer loyalty and demand, together with the existing and future network investment which will position easyJet as the biggest carrier in Nantes are the main reasons for our decision to open a base in Nantes.”

The local economy, already stimulated by an average 450,000 passengers flying to Nantes Atlantique with easyJet every year, will now be reinforced by 100 newly created direct jobs, mainly cabin crew and pilots, with local contracts.

Francois Bacchetta, country director, France, easyJet, said: “We are excited to open a new base in Nantes and to reinforce our commitment in the French regions where, for more than 20 years, we have seen an increasing demand and need for short haul connections.

“easyJet is a leading airline in nine of the ten largest airports in France, and this new base represents an important milestone for our operations in Nantes, to the benefit of both leisure and business travellers.”