Jet2: This is the date holiday firm launches services from Gatwick airport
Holiday firm Jet2 has told investors it is “operationally well-set” ahead of the launch of its services from London Gatwick airport next month.
In a trading update, Jet2 which provides package holidays and is the UK’s third largest airline, also revealed that its full year profit is expected to be in line with expectations.
In the statement, Jet2 said: “During the period, we continued to deliver on our growth strategy. Preparations for our London Gatwick launch have progressed well and we look forward to 26 March 2026 when our first flights will depart.
"Following the launch, over 90 per cent of the UK population will live within a 90-minute drive of one of our 14 UK bases, bringing our ATOL-protected holidays and award-winning flights within easy reach of even more UK households.”
It added: “Since our last update in November, winter 2025/26 on sale seat capacity has remained at 5.5m seats, which is 7.4 per cent higher than winter 2024/25. Average pricing for both our leisure travel products has followed a similar trend to summer 2025, with marketing spend being reinvested into pricing to continue to deliver value to our customers.”
It continued: “Consequently, we currently expect to report operating profit in line with current market expectations. This includes approximately £10m of promotional and resourcing start up costs ahead of our London Gatwick base launch.”
Steve Heapy, the chief executive, said the company was “very pleased” with how the 2026 financial year is concluding, and “are excited about the commencement of operations at London Gatwick”. He added: “For summer 2026, we are satisfied with our bookings to date and remain committed to pricing that is attractive and represents real value to our customers.
“Our brand is synonymous with customer service and we believe that our award-winning customer first approach truly differentiates us from our competitors.
"We remain committed to delivering holiday experiences that our customers will both cherish and fondly remember, and will invest in our business to ensure we consistently meet their expectations."
In the update, Jet2 said capacity growth has been concentrated into its new and recently established bases in Bournemouth, London Luton and London Gatwick, where it added 1.1m seats, alongside “measured growth” at its more established bases of 2.0 per cent (0.4m seats).
It added: "As a result, our on-sale capacity for summer 2026 is 8.0 per cent higher than summer 2025, at 20.0m seats, against total UK market growth to short / mid-haul beach destinations currently estimated at approximately 5.5 per cent.
"To ensure more holidaymakers can experience Jet2's end-to-end customer service, we are investing in load factor and remain committed to pricing that is attractive and represents real value to our customers. These actions will ensure that Jet2 has the right foundations to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Our booked to date passengers are up by 7.9 per cent which includes positive growth at our established bases and over 0.26m passengers at London Gatwick, with healthy demand for both our leisure travel products. The package holidays mix of total bookings is broadly in line with last year.”
In November, the group said the viral TikTok trend of summer 2025 helped Jet2 notch up record passenger numbers, as its tagline “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” gathered more than 80 billion global views across social media. Updating the market in late 2025, the holiday firm said it saw 750,000 more passengers fly with the group in the six months to September 30, at 14.1 million.