BUSINESS NEWS


Jet2 says 8% rise in summer capacity outpaces market


Jet2.com reported its capacity for this summer would be 8% up on last year at 20 million seats, or 10 million return passengers, in a trading update ahead of the close of its financial year at the end of March. It suggested this capacity


increase outpaced that of the overall mid-haul, beach destination market which Jet2 reported as 5.5%. The additional seats comprise


1.1 million at Jet2’s most-recently established bases at Luton, Gatwick and Bournemouth and 400,000 elsewhere across its network, representing a 2% increase year on year at its established bases. Jet2 said it had invested £10 million


Jet2.com will offer 20 million seats this summer


in resourcing and promoting its launch from Gatwick on March 26. It reported bookings for this


summer up 7.9% year on year at its established bases, with the share of package holiday bookings “broadly in line with last year”. Jet2 noted its capacity for the


winter season now drawing to a close remained unchanged at 5.5 million seats, 7.4% up on a year ago, with average pricing having “followed a similar trend to summer 2025, with marketing spend being invested” to stimulate sales.


Norse heralds ‘new chapter’ after recording $56m operating profit


Norse Atlantic Airways suggested it has begun a “new chapter” as it reported “a move into profit” in annual results for 2025 after splitting its fleet into in-house flying and leased aircraft and crew. However, the


Norwegian carrier reported a loss of $62 million for the year, albeit half the losses of the previous year, despite an operating profit of $56.5 million – a turnaround from an operating loss of $858,000 in 2024. The carrier reported it had


leased half its Boeing 787 fleet to India’s biggest carrier IndiGo last month. Norse also has aircraft


operating for P&O Cruises flying passengers to the Caribbean. The airline, which describes


itself as a low-cost, long-haul carrier along the lines of predecessor Norwegian Airlines, forecast a profit of $20-$40 million this year. However, its forecast


predates the hike in oil prices following the US and Israel’s war on Iran launched


at the weekend. Norse Atlantic


took over Norwegian’s 787 fleet after the latter’s long-haul ambitions imploded. The carrier said its shift to a mixed lease and ‘own network’ model would “support sustained margin expansion”.


Amadeus profits up 7% to €1.3bn Ian Taylor


Amadeus reported rising revenue and profits in results for 2025 and hailed the acquisition of an AI- driven corporate travel platform that it said would “accelerate deployment of AI in travel”. The travel technology group,


parent of the Amadeus global distribution system, recorded a 6% rise in revenue year on year to more than €6.5 billion, an 8% increase in operating profit to €1.76 billion and near 7% rise in profit to €1.33 billion. Chief executive and president


Luis Maroto said Amadeus had “delivered on its outlook while navigating a demanding macro environment” and suggested AI would “reinforce and augment the Amadeus platform”. Maroto said the company


travelweekly.co.uk


saw “growing adoption of our next-generation retailing solutions” and insisted: “We are uniquely positioned to orchestrate the AI-enabled travel ecosystem.” Revenue from Amadeus air


distribution technology grew by 5.9% year on year, driven by a 2.8% rise in bookings and 5% increase in revenue per booking at constant currency – meaning allowing for changes in the exchange rate. Amadeus reported 6.4% growth


in its Air IT Solutions division, driven by a near 4% increase in airline passenger numbers and 4.7% rise in revenue per passenger. The company reported


facilitating 485 million bookings through intermediaries in the year and its airline tech boarding almost 2.25 billion passengers. Revenue in the group’s hospitality


IT division, which includes payments technology, also rose by 6%. Air distribution remained


the group’s core revenue earner, accounting for €3.12 billion or almost half the €6.5 billion total, with airline IT contributing €2.3 billion and hospitality and payments just over €1 billion. The company reported


spending more than €1.4 billion on research and development. It announced the acquisition


of New York-based corporate travel platform SkyLink, which includes conversational technology based on agentic AI. Amadeus said it would add


SkyLink to its product portfolio “to assist travellers on the road”, claiming it would “enable travellers to book and service trips in seconds, while helping companies


Amadeus’s SkyLink ‘will assist travellers on the road’


unlock productivity gains and cost efficiencies”. The group said it would “progressively enable its products with AI-powered conversational layers” and “support the evolving needs of the travel management company”. Maroto said Amadeus


would look to apply AI-driven capabilities “across airlines, airports, hotels, travel sellers and the wider travel ecosystem”.


5 MARCH 2026 47


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