SOUTHAMPTON Airport has announced a new daily flight to mainland Europe.

Working with Belgian operator VLM Airlines the airport will launch flights to Antwerp and Hamburg from Thursday, April 23.

It comes as Southampton Airport has seen passenger numbers rise by 21 per cent last month compared to February 2014.

Antwerp is home to the second largest port in Europe with several multinational companies based there. It is also known as the diamond capital of the world.

Meanwhile Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and is another of Europe’s busiest ports.

Dave Lees, Managing Director of Southampton Airport, said: “We are delighted to welcome VLM and the new route to Antwerp and Hamburg.

"We’re continuously working to expand the airport's route network to give our loyal passengers a great choice of destinations, and Antwerp and Hamburg make perfect additions to our programme.

"This will link three major ports in Northern Europe and will be attractive to the marine and energy industry in this region, as well as leisure passengers.”

The news has been welcomed by business chiefs in Hampshire.

Stewart Dunn, Chief Executive of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The new route will act as a key access to European markets for business providing valuable connections to Antwerp, Hamburg and the Port of Rotterdam, with links to key sectors of the marine and petrochemical industries.”

For more details visit southamptonairport.com/destinations or www.flyvlm.com.