Jet2 has cancelled all flights to La Palma in the Canary Islands, ending the route just six months after it launched from Manchester.
The airline had been operating two weekly services on Mondays and Fridays for the four-and-a-half-hour journey since April 3. A planned launch of budget Friday flights from London Stansted on 6 November has also been abandoned.
Lack of demand ends route
The decision to end the route is due to a lack of customer demand. The last flight between Manchester and La Palma is expected to leave on 30 October.
When the service first launched, Stephen Turner, chief commercial officer at Manchester Airport, said: “We’re proud to connect people in the North with the places they want to fly to, and the Canary Islands is among the most popular holiday destinations for sunseekers travelling from Manchester. That's why it’s great to see Jet2 adding a fifth destination in this part of the world to its route network here at Manchester.”
Customers offered rebooking or refund
An airline spokesperson confirmed that affected customers would be contacted directly and offered the choice to rebook or receive a full refund. They explained that the decision followed a programme review and assessment of customer demand. As the route concludes on 30 October, most passengers with bookings during the October half-term should remain unaffected.
A spokesperson for Jet2 said: “As a customer-focused business, we continually review our programme in response to what our customers want, and we will make adjustments where required. This gives us the ability to add flights and holidays in response to demand, and very occasionally we may withdraw them too. Following this latest review, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw flights and holidays to La Palma.
“Where customers are affected, we will contact them or their independent travel agent to let them know their options, which include rebooking another holiday or receiving a full refund. We would of course like to apologise to affected customers, however with a fantastic programme of services to a huge range of destinations, we are offering superb choice when it comes to rebooking their holidays with us.”
TUI now sole UK operator
TUI is now the only airline running direct flights from the UK to La Palma.
La Palma is the greenest and quietest of the Canary Islands, nicknamed "La Isla Bonita". It's popular with walkers and stargazers rather than beach holidaymakers. Volcanic landscapes, banana plantations and lush laurel forests surround the Caldera de Taburiente, a huge crater with excellent hiking trails. The Roque de los Muchachos observatory sits among some of the clearest skies in Europe, and the island is a certified Starlight Reserve. Beaches are mostly black sand. The capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, has colourful colonial balconies. The 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption reshaped parts of the south and is still part of the island's story, but visiting is safe.
