Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said the offering was the start of “a very exciting new chapter” for the package holiday specialist and its sister airline.

Jet2Villas features accommodation across the continent including destinations such as the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.

The range boasts three types of properties for customers to choose from.

They include “Individual villas”, detached properties with self-catering facilities and private pools; “Complex villas”, which comprise a number of properties in a “neighbourhood-style” and “Hotel Resort villas”, which the operator said would include the benefits of an individual villa but with access to hotel facilities and amenities.

The creation of Jet2Villas was announced during Jet2holidays’ VIP conference in Paphos, Cyprus last December.

When booking Jet2Villas, customers will receive the same perks as they do when choosing a Jet2holidays trip, including Atol protection, 22kg luggage allowance and 10kg hand luggage allowance.

Car hire will also be included as standard.

A dedicated trade site for agents has been created at trade.jet2holidays.com.

Heapy added: “With the launch of Jet2Villas we are now giving independent travel agents even more choice, value and flexibility. With hundreds of villas now on sale, they can offer their customers the option of diving into their own private pool, with the added satisfaction that they have all the package benefits of Jet2holidays included, as well as car hire too.

“We are very confident that the freedom of a villa holiday combined with the perks of a Jet2holidays package will make Jet2Villas a huge success with our independent agency partners.”