Jet2 set to land in Dorset with 12th UK base at Bournemouth Airport

Holidaymakers in Dorset will have greater freedom to roam Europe next year after airline Jet2 announced it has chosen Bournemouth Airport as its 12th UK base.

From summer 2025, the UK’s third largest airline with start flying to 16 destinations around Europe, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean in a move which expands the company’s footprint.

In the first summer of operations, Jet2 has announced it will be running 27 flights per week, including two destinations – Fuerteventura and Madeira – which will be exclusive to Bournemouth.

The first flight will take off for Tenerife on the 1st April 2025, with two based aircraft operating from the town across the summer.

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Jet2 says this move will create more than 100 jobs initially, with positions available across flight deck, cabin crew, engineering, and ground operations, in what represents a significant investment into the region.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “We know that customers and independent travel agents have been asking us for a long time to make this move, so we are absolutely delighted to be announcing today that Bournemouth Airport will become our 12^th UK base airport.

“This latest expansion is a further demonstration of our confidence, and it reflects our long-term strategy to be the UK’s leading and best leisure travel business.

“We know that customers want to be properly looked after throughout their holiday experience, and we are making a significant investment in the region including the creation of over 100 new jobs to do exactly that.

“From today, we are counting down to the start of operations from Bournemouth Airport when we can delight customers, just as we have with millions of other customers from across the UK for so many years.”

Andrew Bell, CEO of RCA, Regional and City Airports, who own Bournemouth Airport, said: “This is fantastic news for passengers and represents a huge vote of confidence in Bournemouth Airport by Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, by choosing Bournemouth as their new base airport in what is a major expansion of their operations into the south of England.

“It will create new employment locally, add 16 fabulous new destinations from Bournemouth, up to 27 extra flights a week and will see an estimated additional 300,000 passengers using their local airport.”

“Together with our work on route development; our significant recent investments in new facilities, equipment and staff to build capacity; this exciting partnership with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays represents a step change in establishing Bournemouth Airport as a nationally significant regional hub for passenger air operations.”

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays’ Summer 25 Programme from Bournemouth Airport:

• Tenerife – up to three weekly services
• Fuerteventura – weekly services (Wednesdays) – exclusive from Bournemouth Airport.
• Gran Canaria – weekly services (Sundays)
• Lanzarote – up to two weekly services (Mondays, Fridays)
• Alicante – up to two weekly services (Tuesdays, Saturdays)
• Palma (Majorca) – up to four weekly services (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays)
• Ibiza – up to two weekly services (Thursdays, Sundays)
• Menorca – weekly services (Sundays)
• Antalya – up to two weekly services (Wednesdays, Saturdays)
• Dalaman – up to two weekly services (Thursdays, Sundays)
• Faro (Algarve) – up to two weekly services (Mondays, Fridays)
• Madeira – weekly services (Thursdays) – exclusive from Bournemouth Airport.
• Crete (Heraklion) – weekly services (Tuesdays)
• Corfu – weekly services (Wednesdays)
• Rhodes – weekly services (Tuesdays)
• Zante – weekly services (Thursdays)

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