Jet2 shares jumped more than 10% in early trading on Wednesday after the UK leisure airline reported robust summer demand despite wider geopolitical turbulence.
Summer bookings rose 7.1% compared with a year ago, while the average load factor climbed 1.2 percentage points over the four months to July 2026. For the full year to March, Jet2 posted a pre-tax profit of £551 million, down 7% from £593 million the previous year, though net earnings beat analyst expectations. The company has launched a £250 million share buyback.
Chief executive Steve Heapy said the travel market was recovering following a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, even as US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran over at a Nato summit in Ankara, sending oil prices up more than 6%. Meanwhile, the European Union rebuffed calls to suspend new biometric border controls that have caused hours-long delays at major continental airports.