UK leisure airline Jet2 has announced another major milestone in its continued growth by announcing the launch of a flight program and associated holidays from London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW) for the first time in 2026.
With the announcement made on November 12, 2025, Jet2 becomes the first major leisure airline to arrive at London Gatwick since 2020 and marks the largest new-based airline at the facility in the 21st century, according to an airline statement.
The announcement expands Jet2’s footprint to 14 UK airport bases and comes on the back of numerous other UK airport base launches in recent years, including London Luton (LTN) and Bournemouth (BOH) in 2025 alone. Jet2 said that the move “means that more holidaymakers and independent travel agents across London, Greater London and the Southeast of England can enjoy award-winning Jet2 flights and holidays.”
In a demonstration of its commitment to its new London-Gatwick base, Jet2 has already put a significant program of services on sale for its first summer of operations from the airport, with 29 destinations on sale. The first flight from London Gatwick will depart for Tenerife (TFS) on March 26, 2026, the start of the IATA Summer 2026 scheduling season, and also in time for the UK school Easter holidays.
Six aircraft to be based at LGW
A fleet of six aircraft will fly customers to a wide choice of destinations across Mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. The six new aircraft to be based at Gatwick will include five brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft, of which the airline currently has 23 operating, with a further 129 on order.
According to the airline, “This type of aircraft is recognised as the most fuel-efficient and sustainable aircraft in its class today, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat by over 20% and providing a 50% lower noise footprint when compared to other aircraft.
The announcement also represents a significant investment for the Southeast of the UK region, with over 300 jobs to be created initially, in areas including flight deck, cabin crew, engineering, and ground operations. Additionally, hundreds of other indirect jobs are expected to be created.
What the parties are saying
“Today’s announcement represents an incredibly exciting moment for Jet2,” said Steve Heapy, CEO of 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 amongst 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,” he added.
“Time and time again, we have proven that when we bring the Jet2 product to new customers, we delight them, and we subsequently expand our operations on the back of that popularity. We know that bringing the Jet2 formula to London Gatwick will be a game-changer for customers, and we are looking forward to a hugely successful future from our newest UK airport base,” Heapy concluded.
Pierre-Hugues, Chief Executive, London Gatwick, added, “We are thrilled to welcome Jet2 to London Gatwick, marking an exciting new chapter for the airport and our passengers. Jet2’s arrival brings even more choice and flexibility to passengers across the Southeast and beyond, strengthening London Gatwick’s vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.
“It is an exciting time for Jet2 to join London Gatwick following the recent government approval for routine use of our Northern Runway, which will further expand connectivity and economic growth. We are committed to delivering exceptional service, and we look forward to supporting Jet2’s growth and success here at London Gatwick.”
This latest announcement comes after Jet2 marked over 22 years of flying earlier in 2025. Since launching with just two aircraft and eight destinations in February 2003, the airline has expanded to become the UK’s third largest airline, flying from 14 UK airport bases to over 75 destinations with a current aircraft fleet of 132 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
