Ever fancied a far-flung escape without breaking the bank? One budget airline is making it possible with the launch of its longest-ever route from England. 

EasyJet has announced it will operate flights between Gatwick Airport in West Sussex and the island of Sal in Cape Verde next year. 

The distance of 2,346 nautical miles exceeds the carrier’s current longest route serving an English airport between Manchester and the Egyptian beach resort town of Hurghada.

However, EasyJet’s longest route across its entire network will remain between Belfast and Hurghada – 2,400 nautical miles. 

Flights will take off from March 31, 2025, operating three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the summer season.

Cape Verde will become EasyJet’s first-ever destination in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the company is also offering package holidays there.

Located off the coast of West Africa, Sal boasts year-round sunshine, and offers ‘another far-flung choice for UK customers planning their summer holidays’.

It’s known for its white sandy beaches and azure water, with its Praia de Santa Maria rated the top attraction on Tripadvisor.

One reviewer described it as an ‘absolutely stunning beach with turquoise warm waters you can swim in’, while another wrote: ‘The waters are crystal clear, the sand white and clean and there is no debris, seaweed or plastics.’

The route is among 26 other new summer routes announced by EasyJet, 21 of which will serve the UK.

Alongside Cape Verde, the airline will run flights to Rimini in Italy, another brand new destination. It’ll also be growing its network at London Luton, with routes to the Andalusian capital Almeria in Spain and Funchal in Madeira.

Ali Gayward, EasyJet UK country manager, said: ‘We’re proud to be releasing such an incredible range of new routes and package holidays, providing more choice for customers to visit more of the places they love across Europe and to experience some incredible new destinations.

‘This includes a milestone route for EasyJet to beautiful Cape Verde, our first ever sub-Saharan service.

‘Our continued growth and investment in the UK and the connectivity we offer our customers highlights the importance of the market for us, where this year we operated more flights than ever before. 

‘So with 21 new services now available from 10 airports across the UK, our flights and holidays are available to even more new destinations next summer, providing customers with even more fantastic choices and great value.’

It follows Wizz Air’s announcement of its longest-ever route from Gatwick Airport to Saudia Arabia. 

The budget airline announced the 3,000-mile route in September, with flights set to launch from the West Sussex airport to the Saudi port city of Jeddah at the end of 2025.

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