The airline will base three aircraft in Faro next summer, and another three in Malaga, with operations due to get under way in the spring.

"The new bases will allow the airline to better respond to higher customer demand over the summer, with plans to become operational next spring operating over the summer season to the end of October," said easyJet.

Faro will become easyJet’s third Portuguese base, along with Lisbon and Porto, and will serve the Algarve, while Malaga will become its third in Spain, along with Barcelona and Majorca, and will serve Spain’s Costa del Sol.

Thomas Haagensen, easyJet group markets director at easyJet, said: "Despite the difficult environment the whole industry is navigating through, this move confirms our commitment to these two popular destinations and will enable us to better serve our customers by optimising our schedule over the summer season as well as making a positive economic contribution to each region.”

The additions grow easyJet’s network of bases to 28.

Last year, more than a quarter of all easyJet passengers travelled to Spain or Portugal – 18.5 million to Spain, and more than eight million to Portugal.