BERLIN - British budget airline easyJet said it was expanding its long haul connections business, adding seven new airports and airline Thomas Cook, to offer more customers the chance to buy connecting flights through its platform.

easyJet also said on Tuesday that it expected to add more partners over the course of this year as talks with Middle East and Asian carriers were "far advanced".

easyJet set up its platform "Worldwide by easyJet" last year, partnering with long-haul low cost airline Norwegian, to enable travellers to buy two flights, combinations of an easyJet short-haul and a Norwegian long-haul via a single transaction.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Victoria Bryan) ((sarah.young@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 1109; Reuters Messaging: sarah.young.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))