In a major boost for British holidaymakers, Jet2 has announced it will resume flights to Egypt for the first time in 14 years, reconnecting the UK with popular Red Sea resorts.
New Routes and Increased Capacity
The airline, in collaboration with the Egyptian government, confirmed a programme of 14 new weekly flight routes from multiple UK cities to the sun-soaked destinations of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. This significant expansion is scheduled to commence in 2027 and is projected to provide an additional 169,000 seats for tourists in its first year alone.
Jet2 had previously suspended all flights to the Red Sea region in 2011 following a period of political unrest, a decision that left many prospective travellers disappointed. This relaunch therefore marks a highly anticipated return to a favourite winter sun destination.
Departure Cities and Flight Details
The new services will operate from several key airports across the UK, offering widespread access for customers.
For flights to Sharm El Sheikh, passengers can expect:
- Two weekly departures from Birmingham
- Two weekly departures from Manchester
- Two weekly departures from London Stansted
- One weekly departure from Edinburgh
The routes to Hurghada will follow a similar pattern, with a key difference for Scottish travellers: the weekly Scottish flight will depart from Glasgow instead of Edinburgh.
Ministerial Talks and Future Prospects
The landmark decision to re-establish these air links was finalised after high-level discussions between Egypt’s tourism minister, Sherif Fathy, and Steve Healy, the CEO of the Jet2 Group. The talks took place at the recent World Travel Market event in London, underscoring the strategic importance of the UK tourism market for Egypt.
British holidaymakers have historically formed a substantial portion of Egypt's tourist numbers, drawn by the allure of affordable package holidays, world-class historical sites, and guaranteed warm weather.
A spokesperson for Jet2 commented on the development, stating: "As the UK's favourite airline and tour operator, we continually review our flight and holiday programmes to ensure that they meet the needs of our customers. We are in the process of finalising a very exciting programme to Egypt, and we will communicate the details, including a fantastic launch offer, with customers next week."
This expansion comes on the heels of a record-breaking year for Jet2, which reported carrying 14.1 million passengers in the six months leading up to 30 September. This surge in popularity was partly attributed to a viral TikTok trend that saw the airline's "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday" tagline amass billions of views globally.
