Flights between the UK and the Isle of Man are to be launched by easyJet this spring, the airline has announced.

The discount carrier will operate six services per week between Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the island as of 21 May.

Running every day of the week except Tuesdays, the new route will use easyJet's Airbus A319 aircraft and will complement existing flights by Flybe.

Ann Reynolds, airport director of the Isle of Man, said: 'Historically, the Liverpool route has been one of our busiest and strongest, with at one time over 266,000 passengers carried in a single year.'

She added: 'easyJet has taken the initiative to boost one of our most important routes using our open skies policy and I am sure that it will play an important role in helping with the recovery of air traffic to north-west England.'