Leading budget airline and package holiday company Jet2 flew its first flight from Bristol Airport on Friday 2nd July. The full flight departed to Majorca with holidaymakers jetting off on a much-needed holiday to the popular sunshine destination.

To celebrate the first flight taking off from Bristol, customers received a VIP experience, including a red-carpet welcome, a Spanish guitarist and dancers to entertain as they waited to board the plane.

The start of operations from Bristol Airport comes as the Balearic Islands (Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza) and Madeira were all added to the Green Travel List for customers travelling from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Following the recent publication of the Green Travel List last, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays reported an enormous surge in bookings from customers wanting to travel in July and August from Bristol Airport. Despite that, the leading tour operator to destinations across the Mediterranean and Canary Islands is continuing to urge the Government to follow its own data and add more safe destinations to the Green List.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays' arrival at Bristol Airport has resulted in significant investment for the region. More than 200 new jobs have been created with roles including flight deck and cabin crew, engineers, and ground operations colleagues.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said, "This is an incredibly exciting day for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, as we expand our award-winning flights and holidays to our tenth UK base at Bristol Airport. We have been ready to get going for some time now, and last week's announcement from the Government means that customers can finally enjoy real package holidays and our award-winning customer service from Bristol Airport.

"We are looking forward to enjoying enormous success at our newest base, and the response to the launch from customers and independent travel agents has been outstanding."

Carl Symonds, Station Manager for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays at Bristol Airport said, "Today has been a long time coming and we are all so pleased to be finally taking customers away on their much-needed holidays.

"Our first flight was full of happy holidaymakers and our team are here to deliver that day in, day out. We cannot wait to show customers what we are all about, so that they can relax, enjoy our customer service and jet away on a happy and healthy holiday."

Graeme Gamble, Chief Operating Officer, Bristol Airport said, "Today is one of the major milestone events in the history of the Airport in welcoming Jet2.com and Jet2holidays to Bristol Airport. Never has the time been more important for the region to look to the future in a post-Covid world, and Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have shown the confidence in the strength of the region to open up their tenth UK operating base at Bristol Airport.

"We know from our customer research there is pent-up demand for air travel in the region. This is a major step forwards for Bristol Airport recovering from the impact of the pandemic with the airline's base at Bristol creating 200 job opportunities initially and this number increasing as the base grows, providing significant investment and an increase in the choice of destinations and holidays available to customers in the region. We will continue to work closely with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays on the strategic partnership and develop further opportunities in the future."