MORE than 90 jobs and new connections to two major European cities will be created in South-ampton by the deal that sees Flybe taking over British Airways regional airline BA Connect.

Flights to Paris and Frankfurt are set to start from Southampton and the frequency of domestic services to Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow are to be increased to between six and eight times a day as Flybe takes advantage of the extra slots it gains under the deal.

The number of passengers the Saints sponsor carries from Southampton next year is set to soar by at least 25 per cent to more than two million.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Daily Echo, Flybe bought the entire share capital of BA Connect for a "nominal sum", while BA took a 15 per cent slice of its low fare rival.

The massive deal, which is still being finalised, makes Flybe Europe's largest regional airline, doubling the total number of passengers it carries from five to ten million.

Generating more than £600m turnover, the new business would operate from 59 airports across Europe. Bosses hope to have the complex takeover tied up by Christmas, operating in January and to see the BA Connect logo disappear from Europe's runways by March.

Together the companies employ 3,700 people in the UK and there could now be widespread job losses, but not in Southampton because BA axed its base in the city three months ago with the loss of 84 staff.

Flybe's Mike Rutter said: "We have decided to increase the frequency on domestic service substantially - to six or eight times a day. And we have taken the opportunity, due to the new slots that have become available, to introduce new services to Frankfurt and Paris.

"We are now getting to the stage where if you want to fly to Europe you don't have to go to Gatwick or Heathrow because the full range of destinations are available from Southampton.

"We employ 1,800 people in the UK and 160 in Southampton. That will rise to 250 post-acquisition.

"Southampton is our number one base and always will be. Next year we will be supporting between 2,000 and 2,500 direct and indirect jobs in the Southampton area. From a Southampton perspective this deal is generating opportunities both in flight crew and on the ground. As a result of what BA did earlier this year there are no staff overlaps in Southampton and there is no bad news there because of this announcement."

A spokesman for the Flybe said that because the deal was yet to be finalised, it was too early to say when the new routes to Paris and Frankfurt and the increase in domestic services would be introduced.