Jet2: Budget airline warns of flight cost rises as Britons make last-minute bookings

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Jet2 has previously said it is facing an additional £25 million a year to cover increased employer national insurance contributions and a higher national minimum wage. open image in gallery Jet2 has previously said it is facing an additional £25 million a year to cover increased employer national insurance contributions and a higher national minimum wage Steve Heapy, Jet2’s chief executive, said: “We continue to believe that our customers cherish their time away from our Rainy Island and want to be properly looked after throughout their holiday experience and we will continue to invest in our business to meet these expectations. “However, we also recognise the current macro-economic conditions and the many demands placed on consumer discretionary incomes, which combined with the later booking profile and cost headwinds detailed, may mean profit margins in the year ahead come under some pressure.” The company is nonetheless expecting to report a pre-tax profit of between £560 million and £570 million for the year to the end of March, which would be up to a 10th higher than the previous year. It also revealed that bookings for April, May and June are up about 7 per cent compared with last year, with package holiday customers rising 4 per cent and flight-only passengers soaring 19 per cent.