EasyJet expands presence at Rome's Fiumicino airport

British airline easyJet on Tuesday said it was launching five additional routes from Rome's main airport of Fiumicino, as part of a broader strategy to expand its presence in Italy, which has become the carrier's second largest market. The low-cost company said new flights to Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Zurich and Brussels will help increase its capacity at the airport by 35% compared to last year, creating 150 new jobs and operating a total of 16 routes. "The opening of the new base at Fiumicino is a milestone in strengthening our presence in Italy," easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis said in a statement. The Italian capital is currently hosting the Jubilee, a Holy Year for Roman Catholics, which is expected to bring up to 32m tourists in 2025, according to the Vatican. Last year, the British carrier also announced plans to grow at Milan's Linate airport, following the European Commission's approval of Lufthansa's acquisition of a minority stake in Italy's state-owned ITA Airways.<br/>