Chief commercial officer Herve Kozar said the introduction of the city-to-city flights was part of a strategy to see the airline attract more business travellers as well as offer a year-round schedule less dependent on the summer season.

With both routes from Luton and Edinburgh airports having launched on the same day, April 22, more could soon be launched out of the UK.

Kozar said: “It is quite key to our business model to go to summer destinations, but then we have a problem during winter and during the weeks. When we fly from destinations like London, then we solve this problem.”

Kozar added around 10% of all passenger numbers were currently business travellers, a number that they hoped to grow to 15% in 2016.

“To get those business travellers we need to have the right destinations and the right schedules,” he said. “That’s why London is also a double daily flight. Business travellers can get out there in the morning and come back in the evening. The idea is, if it is successful, to continue growing the whole Luton [operation].”

Kozar said the Edinburgh route will also be operated four times weekly.

Luton airport head of business development Simon Harley added: “We look forward to working with Transavia at what is an exciting time at Luton airport as we embark on our £110 million transformation programme and welcome record passenger numbers.”