Jet2 has set a record summer passenger number, driven by last-minute bookings.
The UK’s largest tour operator boosted its traffic by 750,000 passengers or 6%, reaching 14.09 million in the six months to September 30 – a level up 40% from 10.07 million in the pre-pandemic period.
The group’s pre-tax profits for the six months increased marginally by 1%, to £800.3 million, with revenues increasing by 5% to £5.3 billion. The company notes that it operated in an environment with a strong trend for bookings close to departure.
On Jet2holidays, the average price remained “resilient”, up 3% to £933, as cost increases due to limited supply were passed on to customers.
Jet2holidays has an Atol licence for more than 7 million customers, representing more than 20% of all licences issued on 1 October. The proportion of holiday package bookings made through the operator’s app rose five percentage points to 31%.
For the 2025-26 winter season, Jet2 has increased its available capacity by 7.7% to 5.5 million seats, anticipating that the backlog will continue. The airline is warning of a seasonal loss in the second half as it invests in a new fleet to support a 9% summer growth next year, while opening a new base at Gatwick, boosting marketing to improve future bookings and maintaining increased staffing levels.
The biggest increase in capacity for summer 2026 is at the new Gatwick base, where more than 900,000 seats have already been put up for sale. In total, the capacity on offer will reach 20.1 million seats – 8.9% more than summer 2025 and 61% higher than summer 2019.
Bookings for 2026 are currently “in line with management expectations”.
Chief executive Steve Heapy said:
“We are delighted to deliver another record performance in the first half of the year, confirming the flexibility of our model to adapt to changing consumer behaviour. Customers may be booking later, but they still want their well-earned holiday in the sun with a brand they trust.”
He added that the new base at Gatwick was “a unique opportunity to further accelerate growth” and stressed that holidays abroad remained a priority for Britons, even in times of uncertainty. “We are building lasting loyalty with a broad product range, flexible choice and a high level of service, giving customers the freedom to tailor their travel plans to their needs,” he said.
