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Jet2, a budget airline hailing from Leeds, has been embraced as a hero, after offering to expand its operations at Newcastle Airport.

As the rest of the country struggles to offset the damage caused by Ryanair’s promiscuity, Jet2 has bucked a trend that has already cost Robin Hood its winter livelihood, erased hundreds of jobs at Manchester, and cost the Irish some 60,000 tourists.

Beginning in summer 2010, the airline will offer five additional routes – Dalaman, southwestern Turkey, the Canary Isles, Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, and two Mediterranean flights to Crete and Paphos, Cyprus. The airline has also adjusted the frequency of flights to Tenerife and Lanzarote.

Newcastle believes the move will create one hundred direct jobs, with a further three hundred expected in the coming months. Airport bosses hailed the recent news as a “significant boost” to flagging customer numbers.

Jet2 chief, Philip Meeson, was pleased to have fostered a meaningful relationship with the airport, “we see the North East as having real growth potential for our leisure business. The new jobs will hopefully show our renewed commitment to this great region.”

A further five flights are being offered at sale prices – Cork in Ireland, Corfu and Rhodes in Greece, the ancient city of Split, Croatia, and Pisa, Italy. Each flight is due to commence in summer 2010.

Unfortunately, with industrial action almost guaranteed over the bank holiday weekend, airport officials may have a hard time getting passengers onto any planes at all.

The new journeys (as well as several sale items) are available on the Jet2 website. Flights from Manchester, Edinburgh, and Jet2’s hometown, Leeds, are also available.