Jet2 named Value Airline of the Year — Belfast International on the 14-base list

For Belfast flyers and holidaymakers, a global airline gong lands close to home. Jet2 has been named Value Airline of the Year at the Air Transport World (ATW) Airline Industry Achievement Awards — and Belfast International is one of the carrier’s 14 UK bases on the map when that title is handed out.

The award, dated 22 September 2026, is ATW’s nod to how Jet2 stacks value, VIP-style customer service and operational excellence against peers worldwide — not a local PR cup, but a global industry pick that still matters most here for people booking out of Aldergrove.

Pictured: Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2. Credit: Jet2 / supplied.

Jet2 already flies leisure routes from Belfast International as part of that 14-base UK network. The newest base, London Gatwick, launched earlier in 2026. For Northern Ireland travellers, the practical read is continuity: the same consumer-facing policies that ATW is recognising — bag rules, service pitch, ops reliability — apply on the Belfast programme as elsewhere. Earlier this year LoveBelfast covered Jet2’s third straight Best Airline win at the Routes Europe Awards; this ATW value title sits in the same awards lane, judged on a wider stage.

What “value” means at the gate

One of the clearest passenger-facing contrasts is cabin baggage. Jet2 includes a free 10kg cabin bag plus a personal item as standard. That is the opposite of carriers that sell hand-luggage as an add-on — useful when you are comparing fares out of Belfast and want the all-in price, not a surprise at the bag drop.

ATW’s citation also sits alongside Jet2’s consumer-champion positioning. Jet2 says it was the first UK airline earlier in 2026 to rule out customer surcharges linked to Middle East events — a claim the airline has put on the record; we report it as Jet2’s stated position rather than an independent league table.

Steve Heapy on the ATW win

Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy framed the award as more than a cheap-ticket badge.

“Being named Value Airline of the Year in these global awards is a fantastic honour and a very proud moment for everyone at Jet2,” he said. “For us, value has always meant much more than price as it is about giving customers a quality experience they can trust, from friendly service and generous policies through to reliable operations and great choice from across our UK airport bases.”

“This award is recognition of the hard work of our brilliant colleagues, who go above and beyond every day to deliver the award-winning service that our customers know and love,” he added. “We are incredibly proud to receive this accolade from ATW, which recognises our performance on a global scale from a worldwide peer group, and we will continue working hard to deliver this industry-leading combination of value, quality and service for our customers.”

Who judges ATW

The ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards are selected by editors and analysts from Aviation Week Network’s ATW, CAPA and Routes titles — the same professional ecosystem that watches airline and airport ops year-round. Recipients are treated as among the more coveted industry honours rather than consumer popularity polls.

For Belfast readers weighing summer or city-break options, the local hook remains the base: Jet2 still operates from Belfast International within that 14-airport UK footprint. Book flights via jet2.com or package holidays via jet2holidays.com. For wider Belfast business context, see our Doing Business in Belfast hub — and keep an eye on live airport disruption coverage such as our recent Belfast flights / NATS update when ops get noisy.