UP to 150 jobs are set to be created in the region as Eastleigh's airport moves towards budget flights to Europe.

FlyBE British European was today announcing five new routes starting in the spring next year.

Flights to Milan, Geneva, Dublin, Belfast and Jersey are on the agenda with the airline planning to use Southampton International Airport as a key hub in its operations.

The airline says these routes will be boosted further next winter with plans to fly from Southampton to Barcelona and Nice.

The move will soften the blow of yesterday's decision by British Airways to shut down 21 regional routes, including four from the Hampshire airport to Dublin, Leeds, Newcastle and Aberdeen.

Flights will cost from £29 one way and FlyBe spokesman Jim French said that with ten million people living within 90 minutes of the airport, Southampton is an important gateway to central southern England.

The new routes from Southampton will operate with a mixture of BAe 146 and Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

"These aircraft are among the most environmentally-sensitive aircraft flying today, offering exceptionally low fuel consumption and low noise emissions, which are clearly going to be a major factor in airport operations in the future," said Mr French.