Jet2 to increase Gatwick flights as service begins

Jet2 is to expand its service from Gatwick Airport after the airline and tour operator launched its first flights from its newest base.

The company, which saw its first flight leave the West Sussex airport on Thursday, said it had seen a 27% increase in demand.

Its summer 2027 programme will be expanded to include 35 destinations and a new weekly exclusive service to Lesvos, Greece.

"This is an incredibly exciting time, both for our company and for customers across the region," Jet2's CEO Steve Heapy said.

"Since we announced the launch of flights and holidays from London Gatwick, the reaction from customers and independent travel has been incredible."

Jet2 said its arrival at Gatwick would create hundreds of jobs in the region, including pilots, cabin crew, engineering and ground operations.

Pierre-Hugues Schmit, chief executive at London Gatwick, said: "We are delighted to see Jet2 expand so quickly at London Gatwick, offering even more fantastic destinations for our passengers, just as their first flights for 2026 take off.

"This significant increase in routes and capacity for summer 2027 highlights the strong demand we're seeing across the region."

Gatwick is Jet2's 14th base in the UK, and its first flight from the airport left for Tenerife, Spain, on Thursday morning.

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