Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will set up a new year-round base, its tenth, at Bristol airport next year, offering flights and holidays to an initial 33 summer and winter destinations.
It will base three aircraft at Bristol for summer 2021, operating up to 56 flights a week to destinations across mainland Spain, as well as the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
Other destinations include holiday hotspots in Greece, Turkey, Italy and Portugal (including Madeira).
Four summer routes will be Jet2 exclusives at Bristol airport – Izmir in Turkey, Kalamata and Lesvos in Greece, and Costa de Almeria in Spain.
In total, 450,000 Jet2 seats at Bristol are now on sale for summer 2021, with its inaugural flight scheduled to depart Bristol for Lanzarote on 1 April.
Jet2 will also offer three weekly ski services for winter 2021/22, flying to Geneva in Switzerland, Grenoble in France and Salzburg in Austria, and a weekly flight to Paphos in Cyprus.
The move will create more than 200 new jobs, including flight and cabin crew roles, as well as posts in engineering and ground operations.
It will support the move by assigning a dedicated trade sales executive to the region, head of trade sales Alan Cross told TTG, as well by rolling out its new virtual holiday show initiative to agents.
Steve Heapy, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive, said: “This is an incredibly exciting day for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays as we expand our award-winning flights and holidays to Bristol airport.
“We know how much demand there is, because we have been listening to customers and independent travel agents in the region for some time. We are delighted to be bringing them the news they have been looking forward to.”
Dave Lees, Bristol airport chief executive, added: “Never has the time been more important for the region to look to the future in a post-Covid world, and Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have shown the confidence in the strength of the region to open up their tenth UK operating base at Bristol airport.
“This exciting news is a major step towards the future by creating job opportunities, providing significant investment and an increase in the choice of destinations and holidays available to customers in the region.”
Jet2’s full summer 2021 programme from Bristol runs:
Jet2’s full winter 2021/22 programme from Bristol runs:
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