DIRECT flights to Glasgow are now flying from Bournemouth Airport.

Flights to the Scottish city are one of nine new routes being introduced by Flybe this year.

The airline is now operating a double daily service to Glasgow, which was launched on Sunday, March 29.

In mid-May Flybe will be offering flights to a further eight destinations across the UK and Europe from Bournemouth as part of its expanded summer schedule.

The new routes include Amsterdam, Dublin, Jersey and Manchester.

Bournemouth passengers will also be able to jet off to Paris, Birratz, a popular surfing destination in southwestern France, the fashionable seaside town of Deauville in Normandy, and Toloun on the Cote d’Azur, which boasts 300 days of sunshine a year.

In total, the airline will offer a choice of up to 53 flights a week to and from Bournemouth on its summer schedule, which operates up until October 24.

It’s thought the new flights could bring an additional 300,000 customers to the airport each year.

Paul Simmons, Flybe’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are delighted to have now taken to the skies at Bournemouth with our inaugural flight to Glasgow.

“We expect it to prove particularly popular with the business community who need fast, convenient and affordable access to Scotland’s key second city.

“This new route marks the beginning of Flybe establishing a real presence to better serve Dorset customers, giving easy access to attractive leisure destinations and most especially to the extensive choice of seamless, regional connections available through our Manchester hub.

“We are greatly looking forward to basing two of our Q400 aircraft at the airport from mid-May when we start flying our other eight new routes.”

Paul Knight, managing director at Bournemouth Airport, added: “This is a really exciting time for Bournemouth Airport, welcoming a new airline which could potentially bring an additional 300,000 passengers to the airport.

“Passengers will be able to take advantage of two brand new routes with twice daily services to Glasgow and Manchester plus frequent services to Amsterdam, Paris and many more with Flybe.

“We look forward to working closely with Flybe to strengthen Bournemouth’s position as the key airport in the South West.”