Buzz, the UK's third largest low-cost airline, is to expand into three new bases in the UK and Europe. The first new UK base will be Bournemouth airport, with flights starting from March next year and seats going on sale this autumn.

A second new UK base and a mainland Europe base will follow by the end of next year. The airline's seat capacity will also increase by more than 50% by the end of 2003 as the carrier replaces its BAe 146 aircraft with larger 737-300s.

Buzz currently flies 23 routes in mainland Europe. Last year, the airline carried 1.4m passengers. By the end of this year, it predicts it will carry 1.8m.