Jet2 announces huge Gatwick Airport decision in 'exciting moment'

Jet2, the UK's largest tour operator and third largest airline, has announced it will begin serving Gatwick airport. Starting March 2026, the first flight from the West Sussex airport will depart to Tenerife, Spain, the airlines confirmed.

The airline's decision forms a key element of its broader long-term strategy for growth and value creation, centered on expanding its aircraft fleet, reinforcing its network of regional bases, and staying true to its guiding philosophy of "People, Service, Profits."

Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2, said: "Today's announcement represents an incredibly exciting moment for Jet2. For many years, our ambition has been to provide our differentiated, service led, end-to-end product offering from London Gatwick, and we see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate our growth from the UK's largest beach and city leisure destination airport.

"We know all too well how much demand there is among customers and independent travel agents for us to operate our award-winning flights and holidays from London Gatwick, so it is fantastic to be able to share that we are here and ready to meet their travelling needs."

Mr Heapy added: "We're thrilled to bring our customer first service to Gatwick, setting the stage for sustained, profitable growth."

Gatwick reaches about 15 million people within an hour, including seven million within 30 miles. The company plans to invest significantly in the short term to build its operations and brand there, with start-up costs expected in FY26 and profitability projected from FY29.

The Leeds-based travel company has obtained permission to operate six aircraft at Gatwick, the UK's busiest single-runway airport. Of these, five modern Airbus A321neo jets will be stationed at Gatwick, while one will be based abroad. This expansion increases Jet2's presence across the country, bringing its total number of UK bases to 14.