easyJet has added three new routes from regional UK airports to its summer 2026 programme, giving travellers in the North East and North West direct access to Rome, Lisbon and Bari without connecting through London.
The airline is introducing twice-weekly services from Newcastle to Rome Fiumicino and Lisbon, plus a new Manchester link to Bari in southern Italy. All three routes operate on Mondays and Fridays, a pattern that suits long-weekend trips as well as week-long stays and puts two European capitals within direct reach of Newcastle passengers.
Newcastle base powers North East expansion
The Newcastle to Rome Fiumicino service launches on 30 March 2026, with Lisbon following on 22 June. Both routes arrive alongside the opening of easyJet’s new base at Newcastle Airport in March 2026, which becomes the carrier’s 11th in the UK and is expected to significantly increase capacity and connectivity from the region.
For SMEs in the North East, the Rome and Lisbon links matter beyond the leisure market. Both capitals are significant business destinations, and direct services cut out the cost and lost hours of routing through Heathrow, Gatwick or a European hub. Newcastle Airport confirmed the new services as part of the base announcement.
Manchester gains a southern Italy link
From Manchester, easyJet will fly twice weekly to Bari from 3 July 2026, again on Mondays and Fridays. The Puglian capital is an emerging destination for the region’s food, wine and tourism trade, and the direct link gives northern firms with Italian suppliers or clients a practical alternative to connecting via Milan or Rome.
According to easyJet’s announcement, fares start at £33.99 one way to Rome, £43.99 to Lisbon and £38.99 from Manchester to Bari.
Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK country manager, said the new routes form part of the airline’s largest-ever summer operation. “We are set to operate our biggest flying programme to date this summer, offering more than 50 million seats to and from the UK,” he said. “We remain as committed as ever to making travel easy, while continuing to expand choice for our customers.”
What it means for business travellers
The additions continue a run of regional investment from the carrier, which recently announced 13 new winter routes across Europe and North Africa and held its 2026 outlook steady despite a £93m quarterly loss earlier in the year.
For travel bookers, the practical takeaway is more choice from regional airports at the peak of the summer season. Twice-weekly frequencies will not suit every itinerary, but Monday departures and Friday returns map neatly onto a standard working week abroad, and the new Newcastle base suggests further frequency and destination growth from the North East is likely as the operation beds in.
