THE announcement that a budget airline is setting up a base in the North-East has come just weeks after a rival airport revealed its own ambitions.

In June, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen told the Northern Echo there was a long term ambition for Ryanair to set up a base at Teesside Airport, creating new jobs.

On Thursday, Ryanair announced it was opening a base at Newcastle Airport with two aircraft, with 63 departing flights a week and 19 routes.

READ MORE: Ryanair announce 12 NEW routes at Newcastle Airport

The £143million investment is expected to create 60 direct jobs and 400 indirect ones.

Mr Houchen had previously spoken of his ambition for the airline to choose Teesside as a base.

READ MORE: This is what the long-term plan is for Ryanair at Teesside Airport

Following Thursday's announcement, Mr Houchen said he was confident Teesside's relationship with Ryanair would "continue to grow" but did not answer questions about what the airline's announcement would mean for a future base at the airport.

When asked whether the announcement was a blow to Teesside's ambition to open a base, he said: "Our relationship with Ryanair goes from strength to strength. In the short time they’ve operated from Teesside International they’ve not only increased the number of destinations served but also committed to flying all year round, creating our first season of winter sun in over a decade.

"Sales are extremely promising with passengers from across the whole North of England using our fantastic new terminal building and

"I’m confident our relationship will continue to grow.”

Currently, Ryanair operates its flights to Teesside from other airports meaning the cabin crew and aircraft are not based in the North-East.

But a base, which would see crew and Ryanair aircraft based at the airport, along with maintenance, would potentially see the creation of further jobs.

In June, he told the Northern Echo there were long-term plans to encourage Ryanair to set up a base in the region.

At the time, he told the Northern Echo: "If we continue how we started, I am more than confident they won't just stay here for seven years, they'll be here for the long-term.

"I want to encourage them to set up a base here, rather than just having the flights from Teesside airport – I think we can achieve that in the coming years ahead."

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Darlington Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054