Easyjet says it is committed to its base at Liverpool

The firm is buying GB Airways and plans to increase its two plane operation at Manchester to five by 2010.

It is also increasing its aircraft at Liverpool John Lennon airport from eight to 10.

The moves will make the airline the biggest operating in the region, carrying 4m passengers annually.

GB Airways, which operates under the British Airways brand, has six routes from Manchester including Tenerife, Cyprus, Malta and Crete. It employs 79 staff at the airport and carries 290,000 passengers a year.

Its two aircraft will be re-branded in the orange and white colours in March and Easyjet is planning to add a further three planes.

Mike Campbell, Easyjet people director, said: "The GB operation at Manchester provides us with a great base on which we can build to tap into a new market.

"We remain committed to our base at Liverpool and, by launching additional operations from Manchester, we can make it even easier for everyone in the North West to access Easyjet's services."