Travellers based in Belfast are set to benefit from eight new European routes announced by Aer Lingus this week.

The carrier has said that it is launching new flights to Amsterdam, Geneva and Barcelona this December, with a new Heathrow Airport service beginning the following month.

In addition, new flights to locations including Budapest, Rome, Faro and Malaga will be introduced in February next year. However, Aer Lingus has confirmed that it will axe its service between Shannon and Heathrow Airport.

BBC Northern Ireland correspondent Yvette Shapiro speculated over the possibility of the airline launching a route to the USA in the future.

"In the longer-term, it's believed that Aer Lingus may launch transatlantic flights from Belfast," she commented.

Last month, the carrier said that it is to launch a new service between Dublin and Gatwick Airport during October this year, which will fly four times a day.

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