A bitter price war has broken out between two low-cost airlines flying from Leeds-Bradford Airport.

Airline Flybe.com is offering 'free' flights to Belfast to try to combat competition from low-cost rival Jet2.com, which is launching Belfast flights this month with prices starting at £1.

Jet2.com chief executive Philip Meeson said today: "It is great news for the people of Bradford and beyond that, since Jet2.com opened up a truly low cost route from the region into Northern Ireland, another airline has introduced some promotional fares to try to match ours.

"We will be watching with great interest when their promotion ends - which incidentally is this Thursday, whereas our £1 offer is open throughout November - to see if their seats then shoot back up to the premium prices customers were paying beforehand."

Mr Meeson claimed that Jet2.com taxes were fixed at £10 each way to Belfast and back whereas Flybe.com's were "often more than double that".

"Our fares are transparent and our website has a feature built in so customers can see exactly where the lowest priced seats are," he added.

But Sara Randall Johnson, public relations manager of Flybe.com, whose promotional tickets to Belfast are valid from November 11 to January 31, said Flybe.com offered four flights per day - twice as many as Jet2.com. "Flybe.com has been operating the Leeds-Bradford to Belfast route since 1990," she said. "We fly to Belfast City airport which is the most convenient airport for the city centre, saving our passengers both time and money on their onward journey."

Mrs Johnson said fares were "always available" at £19 and the 'free flights' offer was the latest in a number of promotions.

"Flybe.com is the UK's third largest low fares airline and we are used to facing competition," she added. "Jet2.com is a new airline and we would expect their fares to be competitively priced as they look to establish themselves. We anticipate maintaining leading market share as our passengers appreciate our convenience, savings and comfort."

Cath Mason, finance and technical director at Leeds Bradford Airport, was confident there was sufficient passenger demand for the two companies to flourish. "It is great news for people from our region that they have more choice," she said.