However, despite the reduction from 5.8 million seats to 5.6 million seats, Jet2's on sale capacity for winter 2025/26 still represents growth of 9% on last year.
In a trading update issued on Thursday (4 September), Jet2 said the ongoing trend towards late bookings this summer "had become more pronounced".
The airline and operator put 18.5 million seats on sale for summer 2025, 8% more than the previous summer. To the end of August, it had flown 2% more package holiday customers than last year, with flight-only passengers up by 17% year-on-year.
Average package pricing is continuing to go up, albeit modestly, said Jet2, while net ticket yields for flight-only have become "increasingly attractive", which Jet2 said owed in part to it reallocating marketing spend to improve conversion.
Looking ahead to the coming winter, though, Jet2 said it had chosen to "exercise capacity discipline in a less certain consumer environment" by reducing the number of seats it has on sale, adding: "We plan to maintain attractive pricing to ensure our Customers are able to get away from it all and enjoy a relaxing holiday."
'Solid foundations'
In addition, Jet2 said a combination of the late summer market and mainly as-yet-unsold winter capacity meant it now expects its full-year earnings before interest and tax to come in at the lower end of its estimate of between £449 million and £496 million. Jet2 last year recorded full-year earnings of £446.5 million.
It declined to offer any more firm guidance until its interim half-year results announcement on 19 November, and with its current financial year due yet to run until the end of March 2026.
Steve Heapy, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive, said the airline and operator's "proven business model, loyal customer base and flexible approach to capacity management" would mitigate the having to operating in a currently "difficult market".
"We believe that these factors provide the foundation for a solid financial result this year and for further profitable growth in the years to come," he added.
