Jet2 (AIM:JET2), the UK's leading package holiday provider and third-largest airline, carried a record 20.83 million passengers in the year ended 31 March, a 5% increase, as group revenue rose 4% to £7.48 billion.
Operating profit edged down to £439.6 million from £446.5 million a year earlier, absorbing £11 million of startup investment at its new London Gatwick base and £50 million of additional costs from employment taxes and incremental sustainable aviation fuel premiums.
Basic earnings per share were broadly flat at 211.2p against 213.1p in 2025, and the group ended the period with net cash of £2.01 billion and total cash, including money market deposits, of £3.29 billion.
Flight-only passenger numbers grew 15% to 7.64 million, outpacing package holiday customer growth of 1% to 6.62 million, a shift the company attributed to consumer preference for shorter booking lead times.
"We took more customers on holiday than ever before, delivered record revenue and achieved a resilient operating profit performance even after absorbing Gatwick start-up investment and wider industry cost pressures," said chief executive Steve Heapy.
For summer 2026, on-sale capacity is 7.7% ahead of the prior year, with booked-to-date passengers up 7.1% and average load factor for the first four months running 1.2 percentage points ahead of 2025.
