Jet2 has launched its delayed international summer programme today with 22 flights from nine UK airports to four destinations on the UK’s green travel list.

It is operating flights from Belfast International, Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Manchester, and Newcastle Airports.

Destinations offered are Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza in the Balearics and Madeira.

Jet2 was already operating flights and holidays to Jersey, but Travel Gossip understands it cancelled its flights and holidays to Malta late yesterday afternoon after the country announced it would only allow British holidaymakers (from the age of 12) who have an NHS letter proving they’d been fully vaccinated.

From tomorrow, Jet2 will also start operations from Bristol Airport, from where it will offer flights and holidays to Majorca and Menorca.

The travel giant reported a huge surge in bookings to the Balearics, Malta and Madeira after they were put on the UK green travel list this week, although agents say bookings are still generally thin on the ground due partly to customer ‘hesitancy’ and also the lack of countries on the green list.

Some agents have reported in Travel Gossip’s Facebook group that they are still reluctant to take bookings for summer 2021 given the possibility that some green list countries could move to amber with little or no notice.

However, Jet2 says bookings jumped 3000% to the Balearics in July following news last week that the islands were being added to the green list. It says booking for Madeira this month were up 1,500%.

In response, Jet2 has put on additional flights to Madeira from both Birmingham and Leeds Bradford airports.

CEO Steve Heapy said: “We are delighted to see our flights take off again today and to be resuming our award-winning flights and holidays programme to the Balearic Islands (Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza) and Madeira.

“We have seen 22 flights depart from Belfast International, Birmingham, Glasgow, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle and London Stansted today, and we have been filling those flights up thanks to a surge in bookings for flights and holidays in July and August. 

“We know how much pent-up demand there is from our customers and independent travel agents to enjoy our award-winning flights and real package holidays once again, and we have already added extra flights to Madeira to cope with demand.”