Jet2.com
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Pp-vandalism Template:More citations needed Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox airline
Jet2.com Limited is a British low-cost airline based at Leeds Bradford Airport, England.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It offers scheduled and charter flights from the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is the third-largest scheduled airline in the UK, behind easyJet and British Airways.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jet2 is also officially the largest tour operator in the UK after overtaking TUI in 2023.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Further bases are at Belfast International, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London–Luton, London–Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle airports. The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. Jet2 also offers a charter service through its Jet2charters brand.
History
Origins
Jet2.com Limited is a subsidiary of Jet2 plc, an aviation services group. The airline began operating commercial aircraft in 1983 under the name Channel Express, when it was purchased by the Dart Group's current Executive Chairman, Philip Meeson. Initially a freight operator, from 2001, the airline also began operating passenger charter services using Boeing aircraft to international destinations on mainly short and medium-haul routes.Template:Citation needed
Formative years
In 2002, Channel Express established the Jet2.com brand from Leeds Bradford Airport. The re-branded Jet2.com began operating as a leisure airline with its first flight from Leeds Bradford to Amsterdam on 12 February 2003, which operated a twice-daily rotation with two Boeing 737–300 aircraft. During 2003, further scheduled flights were launched to seven European sun and city break destinations.
In 2004, a second base was opened at Manchester Airport with the airline operating from Terminal 1. The airline also acquired further Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft and opened a base at Belfast International Airport. In 2005, Jet2.com opened a third base at Newcastle upon Tyne. Later that year, the company acquired two Boeing 757–200 aircraft, enabling it to fly medium-long haul destinations as well as carrying more passengers on popular existing routes. These aircraft helped the company to open two more bases at Blackpool and Edinburgh. In 2006, the company relocated from Bournemouth to Leeds and was renamed Jet2.com Limited.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Expansion
In November 2008, Jet2.com changed its slogan from "The North's Low Cost Airline" to "Friendly Low Fares".Template:Citation needed This preceded the announcement of opening a hub at East Midlands Airport, the first of the airline's hubs outside the North of England and Scotland. The base at East Midlands Airport opened in May 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During November and December 2008, the airline operated four direct flights from Leeds Bradford to Newark Liberty International Airport using Boeing 757–200s, with a series of flights also planned from both Leeds Bradford and Newcastle during December 2010. Once again, Jet2.com re-introduced seasonal Christmas flights to New York during the 2012 winter season; however, this time, flights would operate from Glasgow, East Midlands and Newcastle, in addition to Leeds. The seasonal flights to New York continued annually until 2019 and ran from five of its UK bases.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline cancelled the flights. They are unlikely return as the airline retired their Boeing 757s, and the Airbus A321neos replacing the Boeing 757s do not have enough range to cover those trips.
In 2010, the airline announced an eighth base at Glasgow Airport would be opened in April 2011, with an initial nine routes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The base was opened on 31 March, slightly earlier than scheduled. In January 2011, the airline introduced second-hand Boeing 737–800 aircraft into its fleet. This provided aircraft larger than its existing 737-300s yet smaller than its 757-200 aircraft.
Jet2.com carried more than 600,000 passengers in its first year of operation and more than nine million passengers during 2017, its highest recorded total.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 17 September 2016, the airline received its first brand new Boeing 737–800 of the order for thirty made in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2016, Jet2.com opened its new maintenance hangar at Manchester Airport. In December 2016, Jet2.com announced that it had ordered a further four Boeing 737–800 aircraft, bringing the total on order to 34.Template:Citation needed The airline further expanded by opening its eighth and ninth UK bases in March 2017 at Birmingham and London Stansted airports, the latter being its first in the southeast of England.<ref>https://www.jet2.com/news/2017/03/Jet2_com_and_Jet2holidays_take_off_at_TWO_NEW_bases#:~:text=Leading%20leisure%20airline%20and%20package,Airport)%20on%20the%20same%20day. Template:Bare URL inline</ref> These have since expanded significantly to become the airline's largest UK bases after Manchester.<ref>https://www.jet2.com/news/2024/09/Jet2_com_and_Jet2holidays_launch_biggest_ever_Summer_programme_for_2026 Template:Bare URL inline</ref>
Recent years
In 2019, Jet2.com received delivery of its 34th new Boeing 737–800 aircraft, taking its permanent and leased fleet size to more than 100 aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation, Jet2.com announced they were suspending flight operations until at least 15 July 2020. The airline continued to operate repatriation flights for British citizens overseas. On 17 August 2020, Jet2 announced via BALPA that they would be laying off 102 pilots from various UK bases due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2020, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays announced that they would open their tenth United Kingdom base at Bristol Airport on 1 July 2021, operating to 33 destinations.
In August 2021, Jet2.com announced an order for 36 Airbus A321neo aircraft, plus 24 options, totalling an order for 60 planes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although Jet2 has operated a small number of Airbus jets on lease to cope with summer demand, this is Airbus' first direct order from Jet2, and a clear shift away from the company's traditionally all-Boeing fleet.Template:Citation needed
Jet2.com celebrated its 20th birthday on 12 February 2023. On the same day, it was revealed that Jet2holidays had become the UK's largest tour operator with an ATOL license to carry 5.8Template:Nbspmillion passengers, surpassing TUI's 5.3Template:Nbspmillion.<ref name=":1" /> On 16 May 2023, Jet2 announced they were opening their eleventh UK base at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. In June 2023, Jet2 announced an expansion to their 2024 summer season, with some destinations being made available from earlier months, and extra capacity for other destinations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This includes additional services to Spain, Turkey, Italy and Greece destinations across all of their bases. In July 2023, Jet2 announced that its Chairman Philip Meeson was stepping down.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref> Robin Terrell took over as chairman in September 2023. Robin joined Jet2 as a non-executive director in April 2020. Meeson has now moved to the position of founder and advisor to the board.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 2024, Jet2.com announced they would open their twelfth United Kingdom base at Bournemouth Airport on 1 April 2025, operating to 16 destinations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in March 2024, Jet2 launched its first flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Tenerife, marking the start of its new services to 20 different holiday destinations with plans for further expansion in summer 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In July 2024, Jet2.com announced that they were bringing forward the launch of their operations from Bournemouth Airport to February 2025, due to high demand with their first flight operating to Tenerife.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2024, Jet2.com announced they would be opening up a thirteenth UK base at London Luton Airport, basing two Airbus A321neo aircraft flying to 17 destinations from 1 April 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In November 2025, Jet2 announced the creation of a new base at London Gatwick Airport, basing six aircraft at the airport, including five Airbus A321neo, and launching flights to several popular holiday destinations in March 2026. <ref>https://www.jet2.com/news/2025/11/Jet2_announces_launch_of_flights_and_holidays_from_London_Gatwick</ref>
In popular culture
In the summer of 2025, Jet2's long-running marketing campaign, "Hold My Hand", became a popular meme on TikTok, often showing a compilation of comedic and/or strange visuals. The marketing campaign, voiced by British actress Zoë Lister and famous for using the Jess Glynne song "Hold My Hand", has been in use since 2015, and gained international popularity on social media apps a decade later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Corporate affairs
Head office
_003.jpg){kind=link}
Jet2.com's registered office, Low Fare Finder House, is located on the grounds of Leeds Bradford International Airport. Construction of the facility broke ground in 2006, in order to accommodate pilots, cabin crew, and back of house operations. In April 2013, Jet2.com moved its Customer Contact, Finance, IT, Human Resources, Commercial and Marketing departments to a new office, "Holiday House", located within the city centre of Leeds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2014, the airline opened a new £9.5Template:Nbspmillion training academy at Euroway Industrial Estate in Bradford.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to the training centre located in Bradford, Jet2.com announced in February 2023 that they had opened a new £8.5Template:Nbspmillion training centre in Cheadle. Both training centres will operate in parallel.
Senior leadership
- Non-Executive Chairman: Robin Terrell (since September 2023)<ref name=":8" />
- Chief Executive Officer: Steve Heapy (since January 2013)<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Chief Operating Officer: Phil Ward (since January 2005)<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Business Development Director: Ian Doubtfire (since February 2003)<ref name=":3" />
List of former chief executives
- Philip Meeson (2003–2013)<ref name=":2" />
Subsidiaries
In 2007, sister company Jet2holidays was launched offering package holidays. In 2011, Jet2 launched their new brand, Indulgent Escapes, providing more luxurious getaways. On 29 April 2015, sister company Jet2CityBreaks was launched. In June 2017, Jet2.com launched Jet2Villas through its Jet2holidays brand.
Ownership
Jet2.com is wholly owned by Jet2 plc (formerly Dart Group PLC), a holding company based in Leeds, England.
Statistics
| Year | Total passengers | Total flights | Load factor | Passenger change (YoY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 604,563 | 5,543 | 78.9% | – |
| 2004 | 1,211,139 | 11,266 | 79.1% | Template:Increase100.3% |
| 2005 | 2,376,900 | 24,151 | 74.5% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:096.3% |
| 2006 | 2,831,922 | 26,808 | 77.2% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:019.1% |
| 2007 | 3,860,266 | 34,358 | 73.6% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:036.3% |
| 2008 | 3,454,578 | 27,851 | 79.4% | Template:DecreaseTemplate:010.5% |
| 2009 | 3,089,340 | 24,282 | 81.6% | Template:DecreaseTemplate:010.6% |
| 2010 | 3,338,921 | 24,708 | 86.3% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:0Template:08.1% |
| 2011 | 4,235,752 | 29,806 | 87.3% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:026.9% |
| 2012 | 4,776,257 | 32,520 | 89.0% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:012.8% |
| 2013 | 5,515,021 | 36,064 | 89.8% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:015.5% |
| 2014 | 6,007,549 | 39,362 | 89.0% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:0Template:08.9% |
| 2015 | 5,853,447 | 36,657 | 91.3% | Template:DecreaseTemplate:0Template:02.6% |
| 2016 | 6,721,129 | 41,796 | 90.8% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:014.8% |
| 2017 | 9,695,445 | 58,541 | 90.6% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:030.7% |
| 2018 | 12,170,681 | 70,963 | 91.4% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:025.5% |
| 2019 | 14,393,162 | 82,931 | 90.9% | Template:IncreaseTemplate:018.3% |
| 2020 | 2,851,455 | 20,287 | 74.8% | Template:Decrease 80.2% |
| 2021 | 3,168,738 | 27,879 | 62.9% | Template:Increase 11.1% |
| 2022 | 15,533,430 | 92,062 | 87.8% | Template:Increase390.2% |
| 2023 | 17,321,108 | 100,817 | 88.9% | Template:Increase 11.5% |
| 2024 | 19,495,418 | 114,496 | 87.9% | Template:Increase 12.6% |
| Source: United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority<ref name="caa">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||||
Destinations
Template:Main Jet2.com operates flights to 70 destinations in Europe, with a focus on Spain, the Mediterranean Sea, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy and Turkey. Its main base is at Leeds Bradford Airport with twelve additional operating bases across the United Kingdom as well as overseas bases at Alicante Airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport and Tenerife South Airport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
| Rank | Airport | IATA | Destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Manchester | MAN | 72 |
| 2. | Birmingham | BHX | 70 |
| 3. | Leeds/Bradford | LBA | 55 |
| 4. | Newcastle upon Tyne | NCL | 54 |
| 5. | London–Stansted | STN | 53 |
| 6. | Bristol | BRS | 42 |
| 7. | Edinburgh | EDI | 41 |
| 8. | East Midlands | EMA | 38 |
| 9. | Glasgow | GLA | 33 |
| 10. | Liverpool | LPL | 28 |
| 11. | Belfast–International | BFS | 26 |
| 12. | Bournemouth | BOH | 22 |
| 13. | London–Luton | LTN | 17 |
Interline agreements
- Air Transat<ref>https://openjaw.com/newsroom/airline/2024/08/27/air-transat-adds-jet2-com-air-mauritius-flights-to-virtual-interlining-platform/ Template:Bare URL inline</ref>
Fleet
Current fleet
Template:As of, Jet2.com operates the following aircraft:<ref>Template:Cite web Search term "JET2.COM" or "Dart Group" as the AOC Holder</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A321-200 | 5 | — | 220 | |
| Airbus A321neo | 23 | 129 | 232 | Airbus A320neo orders converted to the larger A321neo in July 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Boeing 737-300 | 7 | — | 148 | To be phased out in 2026.><ref name="investis.com" /> |
| Boeing 737-800 | 98 | — | 189 | |
| Total | 133 | 129 | ||
Fleet development
In October 2021, Jet2.com announced that they had placed an order with Airbus to purchase multiple Airbus A321neo aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2022, Jet2.com further announced that they had expanded their order with Airbus, ordering a total of 60 A321neo aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2022, Jet2.com announced an additional order for 35 Airbus A320neo aircraft;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> however, in July 2024, this order was converted into the larger A321neo, and later that month, Jet2.com exercised its remaining purchase options with Airbus taking the total order up to 146 A321neo aircraft. These aircraft are intended to increase the fleet size along with replacing older 737-300 and 757-200 aircraft. In January 2025, the remaining Boeing 757s were phased out of the fleet with Jet2.com being the last UK airline to operate the passenger variant.<ref name="UK's Jet2 retires B757-200 fleet">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=investis.com>Template:Cite web</ref>
Historic fleet
Jet2.com previously operated the following aircraft types:
| Aircraft | Total | Year Introduced | Year Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 757-200 | 17 | 2005 | 2025 | Last UK passenger airline to operate the type.<ref name="UK's Jet2 retires B757-200 fleet"/> |
| Boeing 737-200 | 1 | 2007 | 2007 | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 27 | 2002 | — | To be phased out in 2026.<ref name="investis.com" /> |
| Boeing 737-400 | 2 | 2005 | 2007 |
References
External links
Template:Portal bar Template:A4E Template:European Low Fares Airline Association Template:Navbox Airlines of the United Kingdom
- Pages with broken file links
- Airlines of the United Kingdom
- British Air Transport Association
- European Low Fares Airline Association
- Airlines for Europe
- Airlines established in 2002
- Low-cost carriers
- Companies based in Leeds
- British brands
- British companies established in 2002
- Internet memes introduced in 2025