Jet2 will have 24.4 million seats on sale in the 12 months from March this year, a 9% year-on-year hike. The majority, 18.5 million, are for the current summer, which itself represents a year-on-year increase in capacity of 8%.
The package market leader, the UK’s largest Atol holder, is also committed to 146 new Airbus A321neo aircraft in the period through to 2035, although many of these will be replacements for existing aircraft.
Chief executive Steve Heapy, addressing analysts on Wednesday (9 July) after Jet2 revealed record full-year results, said the Jet2.com fleet would grow from a current 135 aircraft to 159 by 2031, by which time it will have received 113 new aircraft. However, he added there was scope to drop the number in the fleet to around 110 over the next two years if demand falls.
Each new Airbus provides 232 seats, compared with the 189 on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft they will replace. Heapy said the 20% fuel burn reduction equated to around a £10 per seat saving. He said Jet2 customers would continue to fly on Jet2 aircraft, insisting there would be “no third-party seats” unlike rival Tui, which has sealed deals with Ryanair and easyJet.
“We are defending and strengthening the core,” said Heapy. One tactic will be to expand and broaden the brand’s customer base towards younger and less affluent customers by bringing in more lower-grade accommodation – including hostels and self-catering options.
Jet2 now operates from 13 UK bases, with the latest being Bristol, Bournemouth, Luton and Liverpool. Heapy said 58 million people were now within 90 minutes of a Jet2 base. “We’re attracting new customers – both flight-only and package holidays.”
He said summer 2025 “continues to be a late booking market” but added: “It is clear customer eagerness to get away is very strong. We are satisfied with progress so far for the full year 2026 and trading in line with market expectations."
Heapy predicted the trend for later booking would not last. “The market is cyclical; it has been a late booking market for about a year. At some stage, the market will book earlier.”
Talk of a late booking trend spooked investors, with Jet2 shares ending the day down 8.65%.
