PICTURE: Shutterstock/ Georgios Tsichlis


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Short-Haul


and sweet Short


Shifts in booking patterns, capacity changes, acquisitions and closures – it’s been a busy year in the short-haul sector


LATE BOOM With the cost-of-living crisis ongoing, 2025 has been a year of ultra-late bookings. Holidaymakers were still keen on European destinations such as Spain and Greece (pictured), but the shift to an even later booking pattern – including for key school holidays – reflected price sensitivity, particularly in the family market. To stimulate demand, unprecedented numbers of free child places, discounted breaks and flights for the summer were made available by major operators including Jet2holidays, easyJet holidays and Tui.


STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability continued to be a priority for many short-haul suppliers, with Tui citing its increasing use of third- party flying as encouraging off-peak, shoulder season travel. Jet2holidays chief executive Steve Heapy called on Spain to continue its clampdown on unlicensed tourist accommodation, and urged government action on sustainable aviation fuel. At the Spain Talks 2025 conference, Sunvil chairman Noel Josephides (pictured) encouraged European mass-market destinations to set tourist limits. He urged them to copy cities such as Barcelona, which is imposing a ban on holiday apartments by 2029.


FLYING HIGH


Mainstream airports have seen competition heat up, with capacity hikes by Jet2.com and easyJet. Regional bases are also on the up: Jet2 established itself at Bournemouth and Luton and added a fifth aircraft at Liverpool. Its summer capacity reached 18.6 million seats, 8% higher than summer 2024, while its winter 2025-26 season offers 5.6 million seats, 9% up


on last winter. EasyJet launched more flights from Southend, doubling its 2024 summer programme from the airport to more than 330,000 seats with three new aircraft, and added over 500,000 seats with seven more aircraft UK-wide.


EVERY COUNTS


Vote


END OF AN ERA On the Beach closed its Classic Collection B2B arm to focus on B2C. The trade also said farewell to Bulgaria specialist Balkan Holidays – the operator cited the increasing difficulties of being competitive and profitable in the UK’s mainstream family market. Senior industry figures said the closure of Balkan Holidays, which used its own charter flights, signalled the end of “traditional tour operating in the UK”.


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