Jet2 to set up 12th UK base at Bournemouth airport

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have put flights and packages on sale today (March 26) from Bournemouth airport, which will become their 12th UK base.

The brands are offering 16 destinations across Europe, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean, with departures starting in summer 2025.

The “significant” expansion to their footprint comes in response to “years of demand” from customers and independent travel agents across the south of England, including Bournemouth, Southampton and Portsmouth.

In their first summer of operations from Bournemouth, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will operate up to 27 weekly flights, with two aircraft based at the airport. Two destinations – Fuerteventura and Madeira – are exclusive to Jet2 from Bournemouth.

The inaugural flight from the airport will depart to Tenerife on April 1, 2025.

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News of this latest expansion comes just days before the brands start operations from Liverpool John Lennon airport.

Jet2holidays’ trade team will work with independent travel agents across the region to ensure they have the knowledge they need to sell the operator’s package holidays.

The brands will create more than 100 new jobs, with positions available across flight deck, cabin crew, engineering and ground operations.

Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “We know that customers and independent travel agents have been asking us for a long time to make this move, so we are absolutely delighted to be announcing today that Bournemouth airport will become our 12th UK base airport.

“This latest expansion is a further demonstration of our confidence, and it reflects our long-term strategy to be the UK’s leading and best leisure travel business.”

Andrew Bell, chief executive of Regional and City Airports (RCA) which operates Bournemouth airport, said: “This is fantastic news for passengers and represents a huge vote of confidence in Bournemouth airport by Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, by choosing Bournemouth as their new base airport in what is a major expansion of their operations into the south of England.

“It will create new employment locally, add 16 fabulous new destinations from Bournemouth, up to 27 extra flights a week and will see an estimated additional 300,000 passengers using their local airport.

“Together with our work on route development; our significant recent investments in new facilities, equipment and staff to build capacity; this exciting partnership with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays represents a step change in establishing Bournemouth Airport as a nationally significant regional hub for passenger air operations.”

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays’ summer 2025 programme from Bournemouth airport:
Tenerife – up to three weekly services
Fuerteventura – weekly services (Wednesdays) – exclusive from Bournemouth.
Gran Canaria – weekly services (Sundays)
Lanzarote – up to two weekly services (Mondays, Fridays)
Alicante – up to two weekly services (Tuesdays, Saturdays)
Palma (Majorca) – up to four weekly services (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays)
Ibiza – up to two weekly services (Thursdays, Sundays)
Menorca – weekly services (Sundays)
Antalya – up to two weekly services (Wednesdays, Saturdays)
Dalaman – up to two weekly services (Thursdays, Sundays)
Faro (Algarve) – up to two weekly services (Mondays, Fridays)
Madeira – weekly services (Thursdays) – exclusive from Bournemouth.
Crete (Heraklion) – weekly services (Tuesdays)
Corfu – weekly services (Wednesdays)
Rhodes – weekly services (Tuesdays)
Zante – weekly services (Thursdays)