Jet2 is making its first move into the executive charter market, configuring a Boeing 737-800 with just 76 business-class seats, compared with 189 seats in its standard layout. The aircraft offers greater seat pitch and is intended exclusively for charters, with customers able to hire the aircraft along with its crew.
Rising demand boosts charter services
Jet2’s move comes at a time when demand for passenger charters is rising significantly. Corporate clients and high-net-worth individuals are turning to private flights in search of greater flexibility and protection from unexpected events that may affect scheduled air services.
Jet2 is not the only low-cost airline looking at this market. easyJet has a strategic partnership with charter company Skytrail, while the TUI Group is the world’s largest charter airline group.
Nor is this the first time a European low-cost carrier has attempted to offer business-class-only charters. In 2016, Ryanair unveiled a similar service using a specially configured Boeing 737-800 with capacity for 60 passengers. Similar services are also offered by major Middle Eastern airline groups, such as Emirates and Qatar Airways, through their executive charter operations.
What Jet2’s move means
Jet2’s new aircraft is aimed in particular at customers from the worlds of sport, music, entertainment and organised specialist groups. The airline believes the configuration will prove particularly popular with these customer categories.
With this move, Jet2 is adding a different option to the premium charter market, targeting mainly British businesses and organisations seeking exclusive travel with a higher level of comfort.
The specially configured Boeing 737-800 is initially available for bookings for travel from October 2026 to May 2027. As well as business-class seats with 43 inches of pitch, the package includes upgraded in-flight meal services.
The difference from Jet2’s usual flights is significant. On its regular routes, seat pitch ranges from 28 to 31 inches, while services such as baggage, seat selection and food and drink are charged separately.
Through this move, Jet2 is essentially seeking to tap into a higher-value market without changing its core operating model as a leisure and lower-cost airline.
Airlines with business-class-only services
In recent years, several airlines have tried to enter this specialised market, though not all have managed to remain in operation. Among them were Eos, Maxjet and Silverjet, while British Airways previously operated Club World London City, which ended in 2020.
Today, France’s La Compagnie is one of the few airlines still operating with an all-business-class configuration. It flies between New York and European destinations including Paris, Milan and Nice, using two Airbus A321neos, and has ordered two further A321LRs.
The second scheduled airline with an all-business-class product is BeOnd, a Maldivian airline that launched in 2023. Its network includes destinations such as Dubai, Milan, Riyadh and Zurich.
This article first appeared, in Greek, in Hermes Airports' online newsletter, Flight Mode. Click here to view it.
