<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">bmi british midland has launched a new no frills airline based at East Midlands Airport.

bmi said the new airline will have a separate name and corporate identity from bmi british midland, which will continue to operate and develop as a full service international scheduled carrier.

The new airline will fly a dedicated fleet of Boeing 737-300 aircraft and serve a range of leisure destinations from East Midlands Airport, including high frequency services to Barcelona, Nice, Palma, Malaga, Faro and Alicante.

Services will commence on March 23, a week before the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

bmi said frequencies and further routes will be announced shortly, together with full details of the new airline's internet prices, which will start at 25 stg each way.

Nigel Turner, bmi's director responsible for the new airline, said: "bmi is launching this new airline in response to a clear market opportunity and consumer demand. We have been operating from East Midlands Airport for over 35 years and we are delighted to increase our commitment to the airport and the region through the creation of this new no frills carrier."

bmi's new airline will become the fourth major no frills operator in the UK, competing with Ryanair Holdings PLC, easyJet PLC and Go Fly Ltd.</font>