AER Lingus has ended months of speculation by confirming it is establishing a UK base at Belfast International Airport.

In what is one of the biggest aviation investments in the Province for many years, the Republic's flag carrier is to invest £100m (€150m) at Belfast International Airport.

It will base three new aircraft at BIAL and initially launch eight routes including a three times daily service to London Heathrow. The service will increase to four rotations a day next summer with the potential for greater frequency in time.

The announcement was made in the Long Gallery in Stormont by Aer Lingus Chief Executive, Dermot Mannion and John Doran, Managing Director of Belfast International Airport.

The eight routes being launched are London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Rome, Budapest, Barcelona, Malaga, Faro, and Geneva.

"This is one of the most significant and exciting developments at Belfast International in recent years," said John Doran.

"The significance is not just in the routes announced but in the global connections now available from code sharing with British Airways at Heathrow and through a partnership with KLM at Schipol in Amsterdam.

"With Aer Lingus in Belfast and British Airways through Heathrow we will be able to offer our passengers seamless ticketing to destinations worldwide with their bags checked in at Belfast straight through to their destination. It will be a similar story for those travelling with us through Amsterdam."

Aer Lingus will base three Airbus 320 aircraft at BFS, immediately creating 100 jobs in direct employment and delivering the potential for a further 1,000 indirect posts.

"The launch of the eight routes has the potential to attract an additional one million passengers," said John Doran. "This sees us leapfrogging two years ahead of where envisaged by our master plan which we published in October last year."

Commenting on the announcement, Aer Lingus Chief Executive Dermot Mannion said: "The opening of our new base at Belfast International is a significant and ground-breaking move for Aer Lingus.

"This decision reflects our commitment to deliver profitable growth, low fares for customers and value for shareholders.

"The timing of our entry into the market enables us to capitalise on a strong commercial opportunity and also encourages the growing economic relationship between the north and south of the island of Ireland."

He added: "Belfast is becoming an increasingly popular destination for visitors from all over the world. Belfast International Airport is the ideal location for the new Aer Lingus base, offering 24/7, all-weather operations and long runways capable of accommodating all current and future Aer Lingus development potential.

"A new base in Belfast provides Aer Lingus with the opportunity to grow by providing customers with additional choice and low fares to European destinations."

The new routes come during a year of unprecedented route announcements at BFS, including domestic, European, transatlantic and inter-continental.

"Today's developments firmly establish Belfast International as the gateway to the world for the northern part of the island of Ireland," said Mr Doran. "The Aer Lingus decision to base three aircraft at BFS comes after a long and considered analysis of the options in the rest of the UK and across Europe.

"This is the first Aer Lingus base outside the Republic of Ireland and the decision represents a ringing endorsement of the airport's capabilities and growth strategy as well as demonstrating commercial confidence in the Northern Ireland economy.

"We have these routes today with the potential for more and extra aircraft in the future including transatlantic destinations."Flights begin in December to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Geneva; in January to London Heathrow and in February to Malaga, Budapest, Rome and Faro.