Jet2 Summer Bookings Up 8.8% as Gatwick Growth Beats Expectations

Jet2 has reported stronger-than-expected summer demand as the airline continues to expand across the UK, with its new London Gatwick operation performing ahead of initial expectations.

The airline and package holiday group published a new trading update on Thursday, 3 September 2026, ahead of its Annual General Meeting.

Jet2 says booked-to-date passenger numbers for summer 2026 are now 8.8% higher than at the same stage last year.

That represents an improvement on the 7.1% year-on-year increase the company reported in July.

Summer seat capacity has increased by 7.6% to 19.9 million seats, with growth coming from both package holidays and flight-only bookings.

Jet2 said customers have continued to book closer to departure during the peak summer season, but its combined booked average load factor to the end of August was still 1.5 percentage points ahead of last year.

One of the strongest areas of performance has been London Gatwick, where Jet2 launched flights and holidays earlier this year.

The company says its Gatwick operation is performing ahead of its initial expectations, helped by a higher-than-expected proportion of customers booking package holidays.

Jet2 is now increasing the number of aircraft offered from Gatwick to seven for summer 2027 as it continues expanding its presence in the South of England.

The growth will continue through the coming winter season.

Jet2 currently has 5.9 million seats on sale for winter 2026/27, an increase of 8% compared with the previous winter.

A significant proportion of that additional capacity is being concentrated at Gatwick, where approximately 400,000 extra winter seats are being introduced.

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The trading update also provides an important insight into how Jet2 is protecting itself against volatile aviation fuel prices.

The company has now hedged 93% of its jet-fuel requirement for the financial year ending March 2027 at an average price of $753.

More than 90% of its foreign-exchange requirements have also been hedged, giving the company greater certainty over two of the biggest variable costs faced by an international airline and holiday business.

Fuel hedging has become particularly important during 2026 as airlines contend with higher energy prices and continued geopolitical uncertainty.

Jet2’s position contrasts with some airlines that have greater exposure to current fuel prices and have warned that higher operating costs could ultimately affect capacity and passenger fares.

The company currently operates from 14 UK airport bases: Belfast International, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool John Lennon, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle.

Jet2 is also planning another significant corporate change.

The company has announced its intention to move its shares from the AIM market to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange before the end of its current financial year.

Jet2 said the proposed move reflects the scale the business has reached after years of growth and should increase its visibility among a wider range of UK and international investors.

The group says more than 90% of the UK population is now within a 90-minute drive of one of its airport bases.

For passengers, the most immediate part of today’s announcement is the continued expansion of flying capacity, particularly at Gatwick, alongside evidence that demand for Jet2 flights and holidays has remained strong through the peak summer period.

Jet2 is due to provide its next detailed trading update alongside its interim financial results on 18 November 2026.

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