Budget airline Jet2.com is to create an extra 145 summer jobs at Leeds-Bradford International Airport next year as it expands its services from its main base.

The airline will also increase seating capacity on its 11 LBIA-based aircraft to meet growing demand.

Meanwhile, its sister package holiday company Jet2holidays.com, is looking to double the number of holidays it sells in 2011 following booming sales this summer.

The move follows news that the Yeadon-based airline enjoyed a record summer this year at LBIA, where it carries more than 50 per cent of the airport’s passengers – a record 1.1 million – to 41 destinations over the summer, with demand for flights to the Algarve, the Balearic Islands and the Spanish Costas exceeding expectations.

The airline is planning to increase its seat capacity at the airport to 1.8 million next year.

Two new routes will also fly from Leeds Bradford in 2011. Weekly flights to Funchal in Madeira will start in February and operate for the remainder of the year, and a new weekly service to Bodrum in Turkey will start in June.

Services to the popular Spanish resorts of Malaga, Alicante, and Palma will include double daily flights during the peak summer period.

Jet2.com has also doubled its Saturday and Sunday flights between LBIA and Geneva for this winter.

Airline boss Philip Meeson said: “Leeds-Bradford was our first base and is still to this day our largest base in terms of passenger numbers. With our head office at the airport, too, we really do see it as our home.

“But even though we have been offering flights to Yorkshire holidaymakers since 2003, we know it’s important to continue to innovate and evolve, and we listen to feedback from our customers.

“That’s why we are introducing new destinations and flights next year, to meet the needs of our loyal customers.”

Sister company Jet2holidays also saw business boom this summer, with bookings from the region for package deals doubling, with holidays to Majorca, Malaga, Murcia and Alicante proving particularly popular.

Its deals are now on sale through Tui travel shops (First Choice, Thomson and Hypermarket stores) in addition to its web and freephone call centre booking channels.

Steve Heapy, Jet2holidays managing director, said: “Since Jet2holidays launched we have seen phenomenal sales of our package holidays. The holidays represent great value which is what people need and want in the current economic climate.

“We are continuing to add new destinations and accommodation from self-catering to all-inclusive, and our relationship with Tui Travel will make it easier for customers to book Jet2 holidays.”

Jet2.com recently created 40 new jobs for baggage handlers at Leeds-Bradford airport, bringing its total number of employees of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays at the airport to more than 700.

Jet2.com has eight Boeing 737 aircraft based at Leeds-Bradford and three Boeing 757s.