London Gatwick celebrates arrival of Jet2, becoming airline’s newest airport base

• The UK’s third-largest airline will fly to 29 sunshine destinations from London Gatwick, taking off in March 2026
• Jet2 will have six aircraft operating to and from London Gatwick, with five permanently based at the airport
• The launch will create more than 300 local jobs including pilots, engineers and cabin crew 

London Gatwick is set to welcome Jet2 in March 2026, marking a major milestone for the airport as it becomes the newest base for one of the UK’s largest airlines. Jet2 will launch operations with six aircraft and an exciting network of 29 routes, offering passengers even more choice for award-winning flights and holidays.

This marks the largest new based airline at London Gatwick this century, as the UK’s leading tour operator expands to meet soaring demand from passengers and independent travel agents.

Jet2’s arrival brings a major boost to the region, creating more than 300 direct jobs across flight deck, cabin crew, engineering and ground operations, plus hundreds more through the wider supply chain.

Today’s announcement expands Jet2’s footprint to 14 UK airport bases and means more holidaymakers across London the South East can enjoy award-winning Jet2.com flights and ATOL protected package Jet2holidays.

In a demonstration of its commitment to London Gatwick, Jet2 has put a significant programme on sale for its first summer of operations, with 29 sunshine destinations available. The first flight from London Gatwick will take off for Tenerife on 26 March 2026, perfectly timed for the Easter holidays.

A fleet of six aircraft will fly passengers to a wide choice of destinations across mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria and Cyprus. This includes five based brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft, recognised as the most fuel-efficient and sustainable aircraft in its class today, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat by more than 20% and providing a 50% lower noise footprint when compared to other aircraft.

Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Chief Executive, London Gatwick said: “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 South East 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.” 

Steve Heapy, Chief Executive, Jet2 said: “We are incredibly excited to be announcing our arrival at London Gatwick, which is a major milestone in our continued success story. 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 the UK’s second largest airport, so it is fantastic to be able to tell them that we are here and ready to meet that demand.

“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.”