Airline Flybe has increased the number of seats available from Southampton Airport after British Airways cabin crew announced a series of strikes.

The budget airline has also added extra flights across other destinations including Edinburgh, Jersey, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Gatwick.

The Unite union said its members at British Airways will walk out for three days from March 20 and for four days from March 27 following the collapse of talks aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and working conditions.

But Unite also announced it will ballot its 12,000 cabin crew members on a new offer tabled at the 11th hour by the airline, giving a glimmer of hope that the strikes can be averted.