People looking to leave behind the winter blues will be able to fly directly from Norwich to Egypt for the first time tomorrow.

Bosses at Norwich International Airport are delighted that the first flights from Norwich to Sharm El Sheikh will take off at 8.15am tomorrow.

The flights are operated by Thomson Airways, which today also launched new direct services to Alicante and Tenerife, which will run until April next year.

The Tenerife and Alicante routes have been reinstated after the airport received more than 500 requests for them to be brought back. They are a boost to the airport after a number of services from the city were axed or reduced, including direct flights to Paris and Guernsey by Flybe and to Barcelona and Palma by Spanish airline LTE.

Andrew Bell, chief executive of Norwich International Airport, said: 'It is fantastic to be able to offer Egypt for the first time ever as a direct flight destination from Norwich International.

'We are delighted that Thomson has taken this opportunity to further increase the list of destinations served from the airport, and alongside Tenerife and Alicante, and Tunisia with Thomas Cook, there is a great selection of winter sun holidays available to holidaymakers in the region.'

The first Thomson Airways flights from Norwich to Tenerife departed yesterday morning and will operate once a week for the winter 2010/11 season.

The first Alicante flight, also due to operate once a week, was due to take off this afternoon.

Carl Gissing, director of customer services for Thomson Airways, said: 'At Thomson Airways we are fully committed to our regional UK airports as we understand the importance of allowing our customers greater choice and flexibility.'

Passenger numbers at the airport fell by 30pc to 404,000 last year as the recession took its toll and new boss Mr Bell said on his appointment that he wanted to grow the network of routes served from the city.

To book flights and packages visit www.thomson.co.uk or call 0871 231 4787. You can also visit www.firstchoice.co.uk or call 0871 200 4455.