The new services will form a part of Flybe’s winter schedule and will operate from October 28 to March 30.

The new services will link East Midlands Airport more closely with its principal hubs of Amsterdam and Paris CDG, as opposed to Heathrow, and will enable passengers to access their respective global networks.

Commenting on Flybe’s expansion, Andrew Strong, managing director of Flybe UK, said: “We are pleased to announce this major expansion at East Midlands Airport as a key part of our winter programme that goes on sale today. We already serve 35 UK airports and are Europe’s biggest regional airline, so it makes sense for us to add these additional five key European and UK services at the start of our 2012-13 Winter Schedule.”

Ken O’Toole, Manchester Airports Group’s CCO said: “We welcome Flybe’s commitment to East Midlands Airport and this major expansion underlines East Midlands’ position as a leading regional airport in the UK. The new services will provide increased connectivity for both business and leisure passengers, will open up additional access to long-haul destinations via the major hubs at Paris and Amsterdam and is a reflection of the airline's commitment to the region and the businesses that operate.”