THE region's airports look set to be extremely busy over the bank holiday weekend, with many people taking advantage of an extra day off work.

Every aircraft flying out of Teesside Airport is full, with destinations including Arrecife, Faro, Ibiza, Mahon, Tenerife, Tunisia and Alicante proving most popular.

A spokesman for the airport said: "It's the last week of the children's school holidays, so it's going to be a busy weekend and a good weekend for everyone."

Nearly 53,000 people are expected to use Newcastle Airport over the weekend, including those departing for destinations in the UK and abroad, as well as those flying into the North-East.

The majority of passengers departing from Newcastle are flying to sunnier climes on charter flights, with the most popular destination being Palma, closely followed by Alicante and Tenerife.

David Laws, Newcastle Airport's senior manager passenger services, said: "In addition to those jetting off for their summer holidays, a lot of people will be taking advantage of the long weekend and heading off for city breaks in Europe.

"Flights direct from Newcastle to cities such as London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam are popular for short breaks.

"Bank holidays are always a busy time, but staff are well-trained and experienced in providing a high level of customer service for the thousands of people who will be passing through the airport over the next few days."