Jet2 Plants Its Flag At Gatwick: 29 Summer Routes, Six Based Jets From March 2026
Jet2 will open a full base at London Gatwick (LGW) for the first time next summer, launching 29 leisure routes from 26 March 2026. The move makes Jet2 the airport’s largest new based airline this century and the first major new leisure entrant since 2020, with six aircraft (including five Airbus A321neo) stationed at LGW and 300+ local jobs created.
What’s launching, and when
Jet2’s LGW programme ramps up from late March through July, focusing on classic sun markets across Spain, Greece, Portugal, Türkiye, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta. The busiest lanes will be Faro (FAO) and Palma de Mallorca (PMI) at 10× weekly each, with high-frequency service also to Alicante (ALC), Málaga (AGP) and Tenerife South (TFS).
Route highlights (weekly flights):
| Destination | Code | Start | Weekly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faro | FAO | 28 Mar | 10 | Peak-days doubles most weekdays/weekends |
| Palma de Mallorca | PMI | 27 Mar | 10 | Two daily on multiple days |
| Alicante | ALC | 26 Mar | 5 | Mon/Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun |
| Málaga | AGP | 29 Mar | 4 | Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun |
| Tenerife South | TFS | 26 Mar | 3 | Tue/Thu/Sat |
| Antalya | AYT | 27 Mar | 3 | Mon/Fri/Sat |
| Reus (Barcelona) | REU | 30 Mar | 3 | Mon/Wed/Fri |
| Girona (Costa Brava) | GRO | 3 May | 3 | Tue/Thu/Sun |
Beyond Spain and Portugal, Jet2 adds 10 Greek points (including CFU, EFL, HER, KGS, PVK, RHO, SKG, ZTH, JSI, KLX), plus Paphos (PFO) in Cyprus; Antalya (AYT) in Türkiye; Naples (NAP) & Verona (VRN) in Italy; Pula (PUY) in Croatia; Bourgas (BOJ) in Bulgaria; and Malta (MLA).
ID 175169528 © jpg1902 | Dreamstime.com
The base and the fleet
Jet2 will base six aircraft at LGW—five A321neo plus one additional unit—supporting dense, short/medium-haul flying to high-demand leisure markets. The A321neo brings lower fuel burn and extra seats, ideal for Gatwick’s slot-constrained peaks and Jet2holidays’ package volumes.
Competitive landscape at LGW
The newcomer will square up against easyJet, TUI Airways and Wizz Air. Jet2’s edge is its package-first model: the UK’s largest package holiday operator now brings its end-to-end product (ATOL-protected holidays, generous baggage options, resort transfers, 24/7 in-destination support) to Gatwick at scale—directly challenging easyJet holidays’ recent gains from South London.
Why this matters for London leisure travellers
For South and Southeast England, Gatwick gains a big new bucket-and-spade player with deep capacity on core peaks, more weekend options, and fresh choice on secondary Spanish/Greek resorts. Expect keener pricing, stronger package availability in school holidays, and additional shoulder-season frequencies on PMI/FAO/ALC that typically sell out fast.
Key details at a glance
-
Airport: London Gatwick (LGW)
-
Go-live: From 26 March 2026 (staggered through early summer)
-
Destinations: 29 (11 Spain, 10 Greece, + Malta, Portugal, Türkiye, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus)
-
Based aircraft: 6 (incl. 5× A321neo)
-
Jobs: 300+ new roles across flight crew, ground ops and admin
Bottom Line
Jet2’s long-anticipated arrival at Gatwick (LGW) lands with real heft: 29 routes, six based aircraft, and a package machine built to soak up peak demand. For holidaymakers, that means more flights, more packages, and sharper fares to the Mediterranean mainstays—while for rivals at LGW, summer 2026 just got a lot more competitive.
