LEADING budget airline Flybe is set to unveil plans for a new base at Bournemouth Airport from March offering a raft of new routes.

Up to 300,000 seats to destinations such as Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester and Glasgow will be available for leisure and business travellers.

The news represents a massive boost for Bournemouth Airport and the regional economy with scores of new jobs being created.

The regional airline said the decision would build on its "strong presence on the south coast."

The full route list is Amsterdam, Manchester, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Jersey, Dublin, Deauville (Normandy) Toulon, Biarritz and Glasgow.

One way fares, available for booking now, are from £24.99 including taxes and charges.

Paul Simmons, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are pleased to be opening based operations at Bournemouth Airport. Bolstering regional connectivity remains our number one aim. Serving the Dorset coastline builds on Flybe’s strong regional presence.”

Paul Knight, Managing Director at Bournemouth Airport added: “The whole team at Bournemouth is absolutely delighted to welcome Flybe to the airport. The announcement is a clear indication of Flybe’s confidence and commitment in Bournemouth's standing as a key airport for the South West. The new routes could potentially create an increase of 300,000 passengers and up to 50 new jobs at the airport.

“The new routes to Manchester, Amsterdam and Paris are perfect for a mix of leisure and business passengers, looking to connect to these major hubs for meetings and short breaks, They will also provide excellent onward connections to the rest of the world. And I know that the return of a Glasgow route will be welcomed by many travellers wishing to travel north of the border.

"Most importantly this is excellent news for our local tourism industry as the routes will attract a significant number of visitors coming into this area on holiday. Combined with the additional European services, Bournemouth Airport is now well placed to serve the region’s growing future travel demands.”

Two Bombardier Q400 aircraft will be based at Bournemouth. The announcement comes as Flybe reveals its latest set of results.

The carrier already has a major operation at Southampton Airport serving around 30 European and domestic routes.

When asked if the opening of the new base would have any affect on Southampton Airport, a spokesman: “We’re continuing to look at what range of destinations are available for our passengers. We’re working with a range of airlines to build upon our success as a leading international airport.”

A spokesman for Flybe said that the airline has no intention of removing their hub at Southampton airport.

She said: “Nothing changes at all in relation to Southampton.”

One transport analyst said: “The routes to Paris and Amsterdam are especially exciting because both these capitals have hub airports which facilitate onwards connections to all parts of the world. This is great news for regional business and leisure travellers.”

It will be the biggest expansion of services at Bournemouth since the £50m investment in 2010/11 when a new departures terminal and arrivals hall were built.

The huge infrastructure upgrade by the owners, Manchester Airports Group, came just as the global economic downturn was at its peak.

The aviation sector was hit hard by a slump in demand and planned new routes from Bournemouth did not materialise.

Flybe launched a daily service to Manchester from Bournemouth in May 2010 but pulled the plug on it six months later because of lack of demand. Currently Ryanair is the airport's biggest operator.