Price wars at Stansted Airport look set to intensify after low-cost carrier EasyJet announced it would be flying out of the centre.

It joins rival Go at the Essex airport - which could mean a bargain bonanza for passengers.

The Luton-based airline, headed by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, 32, has been offered two daily slots at Stansted by the Civil Aviation Authority to fly to Geneva from October.

Samantha Day, of EasyJet, said the carrier was focusing on the Swiss city because it was the airline's new European base. It is also based at Luton and Liverpool.

"We now have 13 aircraft operating from our three bases and another one arriving any day now," she said.

The crew for the Stansted-Geneva service would be Swiss-based although one of Stansted's ground handling companies would take care of passengers on arrival and take-off.

Barbara Cassani, chief executive of Go, welcomed the news and said it was another indication of the dynamic growth low-cost airlines are bringing to the market.

She said: "We're already competing with Ryanair, KLM and others out of Stansted and extra competition can only be good news for the consumer.

"I'm pleased they've chosen to fly from Stansted - it was our first choice for Go as we believe it's the best new airport serving London for business and leisure travellers."

Mr Haji-Ioannou is aiming to make EasyJet one of Britain's top airlines for skiers.

He has been sparring with Mrs Cassani since she launched Go. EasyJet claimed the British Airways investment in Go was illegal on competition grounds but lost its court case last year.

Now Mr Haji-Ioannou is looking to stop any further investment in Go by British Airways.

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