La Palma has lost one of its few direct UK links. Jet2 confirmed it is withdrawing all flights and holidays to the lush Canaries island, scrapping its Manchester route barely half a year after it began and shelving a Stansted service before it even took off.
The Manchester flights launched on 3 April, running twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays for the four-and-a-half-hour hop. It was billed as a win for northern travellers: Manchester Airport's chief commercial officer Stephen Turner welcomed it as a fifth Canary Islands destination in Jet2's network there, the archipelago being one of the most reliable sunseeker picks from the North West. A low-cost Friday service from London Stansted was meant to follow on 6 November — that will now never launch.
The airline says the decision came down to demand. In a statement, a spokesperson described it as a routine review of the programme, noting that Jet2 regularly adds capacity where bookings warrant it and "very occasionally" withdraws routes too. The last Manchester–La Palma flight is expected to operate on 30 October.
Anyone with a booking is not left stranded. Jet2 says it has contacted affected customers — or their travel agents if they booked independently — with the option of rebooking an alternative holiday or taking a full refund. The airline apologised and pointed to its wider range of destinations as swap options.
For UK travellers set on La Palma specifically, the options narrow considerably. Tui will now be the only operator running seasonal direct flights between the UK and the island, so availability will be limited to its schedule and pricing will likely reflect that scarcity. Otherwise, it's a connection via another Canary Island such as Tenerife or Gran Canaria, or through mainland Spain.
It's a notable retreat given La Palma's appeal. The island — the greenest and least developed of the main Canaries, famous for the Caldera de Taburiente, stargazing at the Roque de los Muchachos observatory and volcanic scenery from the 2021 Tajogaite eruption — attracts hikers and nature-lovers rather than the beach-resort crowds that fill Tenerife or Fuerteventura. That quieter profile is exactly the point: Jet2's package model works best where volume demand exists, and La Palma evidently didn't produce the numbers, even with the marketing push of a brand-new route.
If you'd booked the Stansted launch for November, keep an eye on your inbox — refunds and rebooking options should already be in motion. And if La Palma is still on your list, earlier in the Tui season or a two-stop itinerary may be the price of getting there.
