New East Midlands Airport route to European capital after 'strong demand'
A major UK airline is set to roll out a series of regular flights to a European capital city in response to "strong demand" from holidaymakers. Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks have confirmed a new route to Budapest for winter 2025/26 from East Midlands Airport (EMA).
Jet2, which is the UK’s third largest airline and leading operator of European city breaks, says it has seen "strong demand" from UK holidaymakers looking to explore the Hungarian capital and has expanded its network from the airport. Twice weekly services have been scheduled from EMA, with Monday and Friday flights operating between October 10, 2025, and April 27, 2026.
Customers travelling to Budapest with Jet2CityBreaks will be able to choose from a selection of hotels located in the heart of the city, giving them the chance to explore all that the well-known destination has to offer. They can choose from a flight-only option with Jet2.com, or an ATOL protected package holiday with Jet2CityBreaks, available for a £60 per person deposit.
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Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “Budapest is a city that is soaring in popularity right now, and it is easy to see why when you consider its fantastic culture, history, nightlife and cuisine, not to mention its stunning architecture.
"In response to the demand that we are seeing from customers and independent travel agents, we are absolutely delighted to be giving holidaymakers across the East Midlands the chance to experience everything Budapest has to offer.
"Thanks to a combination of this stunning city, our award-winning product and our commitment to working with hotel, airport and industry partners, this promises to be a hugely successful programme.”
Package options with Jet2CityBreaks include return flights with Jet2.com including 22kg free hold luggage and 10kg of free cabin baggage, as well as a choice of hotels in central locations. Sitting on the River Danube, the city offers culture, nightlife and "much more", according to Jet2.
Customers can enjoy UNESCO-stamped heritage as well as tree-lined boulevards and cobbled streets, not to mention Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church and Buda Castle. When the sightseeing is done, Budapest offers quirky ruin pubs, underground clubs, rooftop terraces and cocktail bars.
When all that is done, holidaymakers can enjoy the centuries-old bathhouses which are peppered around the city. East Midlands Airport’s managing director, Steve Griffiths, said: “We’re always delighted when we can offer customers new routes, so this announcement from Jet2 is very welcome.
"Budapest is popular for city breaks exploring its culture and charm and it will offer EMA customers another Christmas markets option to consider between November and January. As always, our dedicated staff will do all they can to ensure the start to everyone’s holidays is as enjoyable and relaxing as possible.”