Leeds-based Jet2 sees 600% surge in holiday bookings following road map to end lockdown

The Leeds-based tour operator and budget airline said Summer 2021 bookings have increased by 600 per cent since 3.30pm on Monday.

Demand has surged for destinations across the world, the airline said, and the most popular locations include mainland Spain and its islands, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.

Jet2 has seen a noticeable increase in bookings from July, when schools break up for summer, which continues through the rest of the school holidays.

It comes as the airline suspends all flights and holidays up to and including May 16, after the Government announced that international travel will not return until May 17 at the earliest.

Boris Johnson said on Monday that a Government taskforce will produce a report by April 12 recommending how international trips can resume for people in England.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will automatically cancel affected bookings with a full refund, the company said, and holidaymakers will be contacted to rebook holidays for later in the year.

Extra flights from Leeds Bradford Airport to Greece have already been added to the Jet2 autumn programme due to a surge in demand.

Holidaymakers can now fly to four Greek destinations as late as mid-November for the first time.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “We have seen enormous pent-up demand from British holidaymakers for some time, with people wanting nothing more than to get away to the sunshine and enjoy their well-deserved holidays.

"The government’s announcement is the news they have been longing for, and the surge in bookings shows how ready our customers are to get away to the sunshine on a real package holiday.

“We are very pleased that the government has shown a clear ambition to reopen international travel in the coming months, and we look forward to more detail in due course.

"Throughout the pandemic, we have done absolutely everything to look after our valued customers and we have always said that the sun will shine for them once again.

"We know what an incredibly difficult time it has been for everyone, and we very much look forward to taking everyone from our rainy islands to their dream holiday choice this summer and beyond.”