On December 16, Jersey got an early Christmas present when KLM revealed it’d begin flying there in 2026. It’s a resumption, as it last flew there nearly 30 years ago. It was announced at the same time as flights from Amsterdam to Asturias and Santiago de Compostela.
Readers may wonder why Jersey is included as part of the UK when it isn’t. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependency. It is like Guernsey, which will welcome British Airways from London Heathrow. Still, Jersey is included for straightforwardness.
KLM From Amsterdam To Jersey
Flights begin on April 4, when they’ll operate weekly. In May/June, Cirium Diio data shows it’ll be the Dutch operator’s least-served route. From July 4, Jersey flights will be daily, with that frequency running until August 30. Thereafter, it’ll drop back to weekly until the end of the season on October 24.
On most occasions, KLM Cityhopper’s 88-seat Embraer E175s will be used. That’s no surprise. Many particularly short new or returning markets start with it, as there are fewer seats to fill and thus a less risky proposition. For example, Exeter flights launched with this equipment when the route began in March 2025. Over time, frequencies are expected to rise or aircraft upgauged. For seasonal services, the operating season may be extended.
|
Frequency In July |
Amsterdam To Jersey; Local Times* |
Jersey To Amsterdam; Local Times** |
|---|---|---|
|
Daily |
12:05 pm-12:25 pm (1h 20m) |
12:55 pm-3:20 pm (1h 25m) |
|
* In July. Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format |
** In July. Shown in Simple Flying’s new time format |
easyJet Pulled Out In 2023
According to booking data, nearly 18,000 round-trip local passengers flew between Amsterdam and Jersey in the 12 months to July 2024. Of course, the bulk of this traffic was in the all-important summer. This period coincided with easyJet’s short-term operation, as it served the market in 2023. Blue Islands flew Jersey-Amsterdam until 2013, while other carriers did so further back.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority shows that easyJet transported 11,700 passengers. When related to capacity data available via Cirium, only a paltry 56% of the seats were filled. No wonder it only lasted for a season. Of course, easyJet’s operation was entirely point-to-point, while KLM will also benefit from Europe-wide and global connectivity.
Dozens of cities have 2,000+ passengers a year to/from Jersey. It will be the accumulation of these markets that’ll help fill its aircraft. However, as it’ll only run daily in the absolute peak summer, lower-yielding transit traffic will be less of a focus than it might otherwise be. Important cities include New York (8,000), Barcelona (7,500), Rome (6,700), Paris CDG (5,300), Geneva (4,700), Dubai (4,600), Los Angeles (4,400), Copenhagen (4,000), Miami (3,200), Mumbai (2,700), etc.
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KLM Will Fly To 19 UK Airports
The SkyTeam member won’t now fly to 18 UK airports, which was already a record. Some 19 airports will now see its aircraft (the same caveat about Jersey being a British Crown Dependency applies). In contrast, British Airways’ own frames, including its same-branded units, will fly to 13 UK airports.
While subject to change, the latest data for July 2026 shows KLM plans 461 weekly departures to the UK (double for both ways). That’s equivalent to up to 68 daily services each way. Despite the daily service to Jersey, the frequency has only increased from 459 weekly departures in July 2025.
The near-flat development is, of course, because some existing routes have fewer departures. Bristol is mainly responsible, which is due to the launch of the Exeter service. Bristol’s summer offering has fallen from 28 weekly flights (four daily) to 20 (two to three daily). You might have expected KLM to upgauge the aircraft to Bristol, but it hasn’t. In fact, the E175 will now operate more often than it did in July 2025, decreasing the number of seats per flight.