Santorini: New Jet2 flights from Leeds Bradford

British low-cost airline Jet2 announced on Monday, September 7, 2026, that it will add Santorini and Preveza to the new destinations it will serve from Leeds Bradford airport from summer 2027. According to the airline, this is the largest summer flight programme it has ever planned from that British regional base. The announcement is part of the airline’s broader planning to expand its network of destinations from that British regional base, within the context of competition among low-cost airlines for the British holiday market.

The Santorini connection is part of a total of six new destinations being added to the Jet2 network from Leeds Bradford — Santorini, Preveza, Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Enfidha–Hammamet, and Tivat. For summer 2027, the airline will have a total of 65 destinations and 15 aircraft based at that airport, with flights operating from April to October. Jet2 also announced that it is expanding flights to Chania, Heraklion, and Halkidiki. The airline’s CEO, Steve Heapy, said that Jet2’s commitment from this airport “has never been stronger”. The addition of new destinations to bases outside London is part of the strategy Jet2 has followed for years, seeking to offer direct connections to passengers from UK regional areas without an intermediate stop at a major airport.

A direct connection with a British regional market like Leeds Bradford has significance for Santorini, since flights will operate from April to October, thus covering the months before and after the peak of summer. New routes of this type are usually associated with increased traffic at the beginning and end of the tourist season, when the island seeks to maintain a flow of visitors without the pressure of peak months. The issue is also part of the broader discussion taking place in the Cyclades about managing visitor volumes, though the Jet2 announcement itself does not address this discussion. Local tourism businesses usually monitor such airline announcements closely, since a new direct route can facilitate attracting visitors from markets that to date have been served only through connections.

Jet2’s expansion programme concerns a total of six Greek and Mediterranean destinations, with Santorini being the only Cycladic one among them. Flights are expected to begin with the start of the 2027 summer season, while the airline has not yet announced frequencies or exact start dates for that particular route. The expansion to Chania, Heraklion, and Halkidiki shows a broader Jet2 strategy for the Greek market, within which the new Santorini connection is included. Until the official start of flights in 2027, Santorini’s local tourism bodies are expected to monitor developments regarding frequencies, pricing policy, and seat availability on the new route.