Jet2 Shares Rise on Main Market Move and Strong Trading Update

Shares in Jet2 (LON: JET2) have gained around 3% Thursday morning after the UK’s leading package holiday provider and third-largest airline unveiled a robust AGM trading update alongside plans to move its listing from AIM to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

The Leeds-based group said summer 2026 seat capacity had risen 7.6% year-on-year to 19.9 million seats, with booked-to-date passengers up 8.8% and growth across both package holidays and flight-only bookings. Load factors to the end of August were 1.5 percentage points ahead of last year, which Jet2 attributed to disciplined capacity management and attractive pricing, even as customers increasingly book closer to departure.

The company’s newer London Gatwick base is outperforming initial expectations, prompting Jet2 to raise its Summer 2027 aircraft allocation there to seven. For winter 2026/27, on-sale capacity is up 8.0% to 5.9 million seats, with growth concentrated at Gatwick.

Jet2 also highlighted strong hedging cover, with 93% of its full-year jet fuel needs locked in at an average of $753 and over 90% of foreign exchange hedged, offering cost certainty for the year ahead.

The headline announcement, however, was Jet2’s intention to seek admission to the Main Market’s equity shares (commercial companies) category before the end of its current financial year. After a decade of expansion that has seen revenue grow at a 19% compound annual rate and its UK base network reach 14 airports, the board said the switch reflects the Group’s scale and maturity, and should broaden its appeal to institutional investors.

CEO Steve Heapy said sustained demand and the company’s “strong foundations” underpinned confidence in continued profitable growth, calling the Main Market move a natural next step. An interim results update is due 18 November 2026.