Jet2 in bookings boost after US-Iran peace talks

Airline and package holiday provider Jet2 has hailed strong demand following Middle Eastern peace talks.

The company reported a pre-tax profit of £551 million for the year to March 31, down seven per cent from £593 million a year earlier.

However, it said bookings for summer travel are up seven per cent compared with a year ago, while the average proportion of seats filled on its flights for the four months to the end of July is 1.2 percentage points up year-on-year.

The Leeds-headquartered operator’s results were recorded after US President Donald Trump claimed a peace deal with Iran last month – which now appears to be at risk after US strikes resumed on Iran.

Chief executive Steve Heapy said all of Jet2’s destinations have seen a boost in demand, but the largest rebounds in percentage terms are those most impacted by the war, such as Turkey, Cyprus, some of the eastern Greek islands, Bulgaria and parts of north Africa.

He said: “I think confidence has improved.

“People perhaps don’t like to commit to travelling when there is a conflict, even though from one of our Turkish resorts to Tehran it was 2000 kilometres – which is like from Edinburgh to the Canary Islands, which is a hell of a long way.

“But I think people are now realising, ‘I feel a little more confident, we’re going to go on holiday and get away’.”

He added the group's performance at Gatwick Airport – where it launched flights and holidays in March – is “ahead of initial expectations”, with further expansion planned for summer 2027.

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.