Ryanair is set to launch a new service from Ireland West Airport to Manchester later this year.

The low-cost airline will start the new route from September at the same time as also launching a new service to Edinburgh.

Both services, which will initially operate twice weekly and operate on a year round basis, were cancelled in March 2020 following the collapse of Flybe.

The news comes after more than 120 jobs are set to be created after Aer Lingus revealed plans to launch its first ever transatlantic services direct from Manchester to the US and the Caribbean.

Joe Gilmore, managing director, Ireland West Airport, said: "The airport were extremely disappointed to lose these two services last year following the ceasing trading of our longstanding partner Flybe and it has been our priority during the last 12 months to secure a replacement carrier for these services, given the importance and popularity of these markets.

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"We thank Ryanair for their continued unwavering support for the airport in expanding their route network during what continues to be the most challenging period in the airports history, and indeed for aviation globally, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Furthermore, this announcement reflects both the airport and our airline partners commitment to rebuilding and continuing to expand our route network and we are confident that with the support of our loyal customer base, local authority partners, stakeholders and Government, the airport will return to growth in the not too distant future when international travel recovers from the effects of Covid-19."

Ryanair’s director of commercial, Jason McGuinness, added: "We are pleased to announce two new routes from Ireland West Airport to Edinburgh and Manchester, commencing in September 2021 and flying twice weekly as part of our Irish Summer 2021 schedule.

"Mindful that Covid restrictions change regularly, customers can now book flights for a well-deserved break knowing that if they need to postpone or change their travel dates, they can do so up to two times with a zero-change fee until the end of October 2021."