Jet2 : photo: Adrian Pingstone

Budget airline Jet2 is to begin offering direct flights from Manchester to Israel from May this year from £70.99 each way.

The confirmation follows a SomethingJewish exclusive story last year revealing the airline was in advanced talks to commence services to Tel Aviv in 2009.

Flights start from May 21 and with the recent withdrawal of Thomson from Manchester, Jet2 will be the only airline offering flights to Israel from the north of England.

"Tel Aviv is an extremely popular destination and we are confident there will be a huge demand for this service," said Jet2 chief executive Philip Meeson. "As the only direct route from the North, we are in an unrivalled position to offer both the lowest ever fares and fastest service into Israel."

The airline is predicting great appeal for its service and will from October increase the route to twice a week with a flight leaving on Sunday.

"This route launch is extremely significant for Jet2.com and emphasises our drive to continue to innovate and expand our reach into a variety of countries and markets," Meeson added.