Jet2 throws down gauntlet to Ryanair with new planes at Stansted

The British discount airline Jet2, based in Yorkshire in the north of England, will station six new Boeing 737-800 jetliners at London Stansted airport, opening its first base outside the region and taking on Ryanair in its own backyard.

The move will see Jet2 serve 21 European leisure destinations, with the first flights commencing March 30, putting it on a par with easyJet, the Leeds-Bradford airport-based carrier said on Wednesday.

Jet2, a unit of Dart Group, last year placed an order for 30 737-800s with a list price of US$2.9 billion, the first of which arrived this month. The carrier operated a fleet 63 planes this summer, comprising 737s and long-range 757s.

Stansted becomes the ninth base for Jet2, which has previously operated from locations such as Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne. Dublin-based Ryanair, for which Stansted is the main hub, has said it will deploy 50 jets due for delivery this year to markets outside the United Kingdom in light of an anticipated travel slump following Britain’s vote to quit the European Union.

Dart shares have declined this year to 28 per cent, reducing the company’s market value to £625 million (Dh2.97bn) .