Volotea is to become the only airline connecting the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar with mainland Spain with the launch of a new Bilbao service.

The Gibraltar (GIB) to Bilbao (BIO) route will commence on July 2 and operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays until September.

It will initially offer about 8,200 seats on Volotea’s Airbus A319 equipment.

Volotea founder and CEO Carlos Muñoz said: “We are very happy to be able to announce the opening of this new route that seeks to satisfy a demand.

"True to our vocation, we want to continue to connect small and medium-sized cities with great flexibility and to do so with maximum safety.”

Gibraltar’s minister for business, tourism and transport Vijay Daryanani added: “I am delighted to see the addition of yet another carrier serving Gibraltar and a new route that opens up a completely new catchment area from another country.

“I am sure that this announcement will be welcomed by our tourism industry in Gibraltar and our business community, as this service creates further opportunities to attract visitors to Gibraltar.

“I am also sure that those living in Gibraltar and in the region will welcome the chance to visit Bilbao and its surrounding areas.”