Boeing 737-8
Interesting question
Jet2 expansion to date has been cautious but steady and generally successful, but its roots since the start of Jet2 at Leeds have been in the North. Its move into the Midlands was well timed with the demise of bmibaby, but it gets more difficult from here South at least for any significant share of the London market.
It would be logical to start to edge into the BHX market, but that runs the risk of BHX taking passengers away from EMA.
The other problem is the very seasonal nature of its operations and this becomes a bigger problem as Jet2Holiday.com increases it share of total passenger contribution of the groups total, Jet2 is far more seasonal than any of its peers, hence the reference to increased winter losses. It has in the past mitigated this through seasonal contracts, 70% contracts and wet leasing extra Summer capacity, but this is fraught with risk as Monarch found out when a wet leased Eastern European aircraft ended up in the weeds at BHX!
Whilst they were inundated with applications for recent position only around 50 were from people who were rated on type (737) or so I'm told? they will of course always get some drift from pilots who want to be based near their families or trying to escape the dust of the middle East.
Norwegian have demonstrated (LGW) that you can expand rapidly into the London market even at Easyjets biggest base in Europe, but i doubt that Jet2 have the resource in terms of management,capital,pilots or the will to try at say LTN or STN, they (Jet2) still have a freighter mentality in terms of aircraft investment or lack ie buy it cheap but don't it use a lot, i don't see any vision or passion in what they do, but to date that hasn't done them any harm.
I think 2014 will be a good year for them, after that it becomes much more difficult with out significant fleet investment and that means debt, lots of it for decades to come, is that what PM wants? its still a one man show at the top.
They can ease the seasonal pressure by buying capacity on other airlines for Jet2holidays.com,but that would be a bitter pill for the bosses ego.
So London? i think no anytime soon, they need to make EMA their own, Monarch effort there ( & Leeds) is half arse'd, no new fleet announcement, talk of C series WTF? i think EMA can be a 10 aircraft base for Jet2 and keep growing at MAN it can only be when not if Norwegian open a base in MAN,BHX & EDI