Budget airline EasyJet is offering flights to the island as early as May, despite there currently being no set plans for any easing of the Manx border policy.

Flights are available from locations such as Belfast, London and Liverpool to the island for dates in early May.

Flights for its route from Manchester, which was launched in October, are available from November.

This contrasts with the company’s policy of last year, where in September it stated that flights to the island would not resume until border restrictions were lifted.

A recent ’exit strategy’ discussion by the government stated that no major changes to the island’s borders were expected before the end of April.

To provide clarity to the tourism and travel sector, it gave an indicative date for ’Phase Three - Release’ [of border restrictions] starting from the end of August.