THE managing director of Jet2.com has hailed the first year of its operations in Glasgow as a great success and suggested further expansion is on the cards.

The airline has already doubled its number of routes from the city to 16 after carrying around 250,000 passengers since its first flight took off in March last year.

A third aircraft will soon be based at Glasgow Airport and a further 60 employees including engineers, pilots and ground staff will join during 2012.

Ian Doubtfire told The Herald he was "very pleased" with how things had gone.

He said: "I think we are really suited to the Glasgow market. We are offering flights where people want to go and concentrating on the leisure market.

"There is a lot more to come. We are very confident about the future and Glasgow has a lot going for it."

The imminent introduction of additional air passenger duty (APD) taxes will see costs rise for all airlines.

Mr Doubtfire would consider greater investment in Scotland if APD was to become a devolved matter and the levy was reduced.

He said: "APD puts the ticket price up but we all have to pay our taxes. APD is not great news but on the other hand it has only gone up by £1 so it is not the end of the world.

"If APD was devolved and it was lower it might encourage to us expand more.

"The truth of the matter is you have to fly routes and destinations to demand. If people really want to go to these places that is the most important thing."

The airline also flies 16 routes from Edinburgh and would consider offering more in Scotland.

Although Mr Doubtfire ruled out expanding into Prestwick Airport he admitted Aberdeen was a possibility. He added: "You can only fly from one Glasgow airport and I think we are at the right one.

"Aberdeen could be something for the future."

Jet2.com is also carrying out marketing initiatives in Barcelona and Rome to promote its new routes to Glasgow and highlight Scotland as an inbound tourist destination.