WINTER sun lovers and football fanatics all over Northern Ireland and beyond will be reaching for their sun cream and football shirts in celebration as low cost airline, Jet2.com, today announced that is has launched a new service from its base at Belfast International: Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. The airline now offers 13 destinations from Northern Ireland .

With now on sale from just £54.99 one way including taxes, residents of Northern Ireland now have even more routes to the winter sun, with Jet2.com being the first low cost airline to offer a service between the city of Belfast and Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.

The inaugural services will leave Belfast in early November, in time to mark the beginning of the winter 07/08 season, with all flights being offered on the airline's larger Boeing 757 aircraft. What's more, in what will be music to the ears of football fans across Northern Ireland, flights to Las Palmas will begin just a few weeks before Northern Ireland's crucial European Championship qualifier against Spain for a place on November 21.

An additional flight is also on sale now, leaving on November 21 and arriving back on November 22, offering the perfect chance for football fans to watch the national team in the sun haven of Gran Canaria - the flights will truly offer them the chance of a lifetime at low cost prices.

What's more, Jet2.com's recently launched holiday company, Jet2holidays.com, will also be offering great value package holidays to Gran Canaria and Tenerife , which will be available to book from June, using Jet2.com's low cost flights .

Gran Canaria is a perennial holiday favourites for British tourists. It boasts a climate that can support sunbathing throughout the year and is blessed with superb beaches .

Philip Meeson, boss of Jet2.com, said: "I am thrilled to launch our new routes to Gran Canaria from Belfast International and we anticipate high demand for these services, as previously no one has been able to travel low cost to the islands.

"What's more, with our services from Belfast International, we are offering unparalleled flexibility for those wanting to travel to these beautiful islands, where before they might have been tied into a deal that used prescribed departure dates."

" We'll be cheering Northern Ireland on during the game too!"