Leisure Airline Expands UK Footprint with New London Gatwick Base

Jet2 has announced the launch of a new flight program and holidays from London’s Gatwick Airport for the first time in 2026. The airline will operate six aircraft to 29 destinations, including the Canary Islands, Greece, and Turkey. The new base is expected to create over 300 jobs initially, with hundreds of indirect jobs expected. The announcement comes after Jet2 marked over 22 years of flying and has expanded to become the UK’s third-largest airline. The airline’s CEO, Steve Heapy, said the move represents a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ to accelerate growth from the UK’s largest beach and city leisure destination airport. London Gatwick Airport’s CEO, Pierre-Hugues, welcomed Jet2’s arrival, citing the airport’s vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever the journey.