The revolution in cheap air fares is coming to Sussex following a disclosure by EasyJet that it will be offering its new, no-frills flights from Gatwick Airport.

The company is planning to increase the frequency of its daily flights from the airport to Geneva and begin new flights to other European destinations.

New jobs may be created as a result although it is too early to say how many, said an easyJet spokeswoman.

The news comes a week after it was announced the British Airport Authority plans to spend £1 billion to prepare the airport for a surge in employers and customers.

The spokeswoman said: "We will be looking to expand our service in and out of Gatwick partially as a result of our dispute with Luton Airport.

"We are open at the moment as to how large the expansion will be but it will consist of more destinations from Gatwick and more frequency to the existing service. It is too early to say how many jobs will be created."

EasyJet was formed in 1995 by Stelios Haji-Ioannou with £5 million which had been given to him by his father, a Greek shipping tycoon.

The firm's first offer was a £29 ticket from Luton to Scotland which was a tenth of the cost of flights offered by its rivals. The firm began offering daily discount flights from Gatwick to Switzerland in December.

Set up in 1995, the firm was able to offer cheap flights by not using travel agents and taking bookings directly over the telephone or though its website.

It has also set up internet cafes called easyEverything and easyRent-acar which offers vehicles at £9 a day.

EasyJet now has about five million customers a year and is thought to be worth £120 million.

The company, which is planning to buy 32 new Boeings during the next four years, has run most of its flights from Luton Airport but is now locked in a dispute over landing charges which are due to increase in October.

A spokeswoman for Luton Airport said the firm was given a discount rate in 1995 which was now coming up for renewal.

She added: "In order to help them get established, the airport gave easyJet a start-up deal and a good financial rate.

"Five years on that contract is due for renewal and the airport is saying we want a fair rate because they have become successful and well-established."

Mark Froud, director of economic research at Sussex Enterprise, said: "We welcome the decision of easyJet to expand at Gatwick because it demonstrates the strength of the airport and the north Sussex area."