easyJet has stepped up pressure on bmibaby in a move that could spark a price war at East Midlands airport, which is within easy reach of cities such as Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and even Sheffield.

bmibaby, the low-cost offshoot of British Midland, has inherited its parent airline's routes at East Midlands and now flies to 23 UK and European destinations. easyJet will be introducing a daily service to Geneva on October 27, in direct competition with bmibaby. The easyJet subsidiary Go, which has six routes from the airport, has added flights to Barcelona and Venice. easyJet has promised to build on its base at the airport, a move which should keep fares at a competitive level.