BMI British Midland - the Castle Donington-based airline - is expanding its number of flights from East Midlands airport.

The company is trying to win back business lost in the wake of the worldwide slump in air travel after the terror attacks of 11 September.

Last year BMI announced 600 jobs would have to go because of the downturn in travel.

But on Monday the airline revealed new expansion plans.

Regional commitment

These include 62 flights a week from East Midlands airports starting at the end of March.

The destinations are Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels.

The company is hoping to win business from other carriers but has also admitted that it will not immediately be reinstating the staff who previously lost their jobs.

From 20 March, the company's new no-frills airline, bmibaby, will operate an additional 60 flights a week mainly to holiday destinations such as Barcelona, Malaga, Nice, Palma and Prague.

However, the company is dropping its two-year-old service to Frankfurt, citing inadequate numbers "to sustain a viable operation".

BMI chief executive Austin Reid said the expansion in flights reinforced the company's "commitment to the region".