UK budget carrier Jet2 is establishing a base at London Gatwick, aiming to use six aircraft from the station and open nearly 30 routes from summer next year.
Jet2’s network from Gatwick will focus on Mediterranean leisure destinations, although its first service – from 26 March – will operate to Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Its selection of Gatwick brings to 14 the number of bases for the carrier.
Budget airline EasyJet is the largest operator at the London airport, accounting for 44% of Gatwick’s passengers last year.
Central European low-cost carrier Wizz Air also has a base there.
Jet2 says it will use a fleet of six aircraft, including five Airbus A321neos, for the Gatwick operation.
It has unveiled a network of 29 destinations in Spain, the Balearic Islands, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus and Bulgaria, as well as the Canaries.
Jet2 says the base “represents a significant investment for the region”, supporting 300 positions directly.
“Our ambition has been to provide our differentiated, service led, end-to-end product offering from London Gatwick,” says chief executive Steve Heapy.
“We see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate our growth from the UK’s largest beach and city leisure destination airport.”
Heapy believes the arrival of Jet2 at the London airport will be a “game-changer for customers”.
Newly-appointed London Gatwick chief Pierre-Hugues Schmit adds that the airline’s decision to establish the base marks “an exciting new chapter” for the airport, which is undergoing an expansion of its operational capabilities including routine use of its northern runway.
