The airline will add two aircraft in Malaga, two in Palma and one in Faro from May 2022. The investment will create around 150 direct jobs for pilots and crew under local contracts in both countries, with 120 roles in Spain.

Next summer easyJet will have five based aircraft in Malaga, where it is the second largest airline, and seven in Palma, bringing the Spanish fleet to 16 aircraft, including four in its base in Barcelona. 

It will also add an additional aircraft at Faro, meaning the airline will have increased its fleet based in Portugal and Spain by 70% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Johan Lundgren, easyJet chief executive, said: “As easyJet has navigated effectively through the pandemic, the establishment of two new seasonal bases has been an important move. The decision to add five aircraft to these bases is testament to the important role they play in our network now and in the post-pandemic recovery.

“They have provided us with the additional flexibility to capture the most demand on these popular routes. We can now continue growing our presence in these key destinations from next May, demonstrating our confidence in the continued recovery of leisure and beach travel next summer.

“We see so many opportunities for easyJet in this period of recovery across Europe where legacy airlines will retrench, and we are ready and able to grab them with both hands.”