Brits hoping to jet off to the Canary Islands this summer at budget prices are in luck, as leading UK budget airline Jet2.com has announced that it will significantly expand its flight programme between the Spanish holiday archipelago and major UK airports for the summer of 2026. In total, the extra flights will add more than 46,000 seats compared to last year, bringing the total to more than 1.6 million.

One of the major developments is the addition of La Palma to Jet2's destination map. From April 3, the airline will begin operating two weekly flights from Manchester to La Palma Airport, offering around 12,000 seats throughout the season. Further expansion is expected from late October, with new routes from London's Stansted and Gatwick also planned. Elsewhere, Tenerife South Airport is set to reclaim the title as one of Jet2's busiest bases in Spain. It will become the low-cost carrier's second-largest airport in the country, behind only Palma de Mallorca.

For summer 2026, more than 660,000 inbound seats are scheduled, with over 100 weekly flights during peak periods, according to Canarian Weekly. Across the water in Lanzarote, its own programme will exceed 420,000 inbound seats this summer, supported by approximately 70 weekly flights during high season, solidifying its position among the top choices for British tourists.

Gran Canaria will add about 13,000 more seats compared to last summer, surpassing 290,000 in total. At peak times, the airline will operate up to 47 weekly flights, with direct connections to and from numerous UK cities.

It is Fuerteventura that will see the largest percentage growth, however, gaining around 23,000 additional seats since the summer of 2025. This increase brings the island's total to 250,000 inbound seats, with a maximum of 42 flights per week during high-demand periods.

Overall, Jet2 plans to operate some 260 weekly flights to the Canary Islands during the peak summer period, with direct links from 14 UK airports. These include Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, along with multiple London bases. Crucially, Gatwick Airport will join operations to all four major Canary airports in 2026, widening travel options for passengers from the capital.

The airline's growth will be matched by an expansion of Jet2holidays - the package holiday subsidiary of Jet2 - which will work with almost 450 hotels across the Canary Islands to strengthen the sale of complete holiday packages.

Jet2, which is based at Leeds Bradford Airport, is the third-largest scheduled airline in the UK, behind easyJet and British Airways. Jet2 is also officially the largest tour operator in the UK, having overtaken TUI in 2023. As of January 2026, it flies to over 75 destinations across Europe and beyond, including beach, city and ski destinations. It has also recently seen expansion to Jerez in Spain and the island of Samos in Greece.