Yes, easyJet is removing 600,000 to 700,000 seats from its 2026-27 winter schedule, according to CEO Kenton Jarvis, as quoted by the Financial Times on 8 October 2026. Press reports put the total at about 1.4 million, with no easyJet statement read so far. easyJet is also leaving Leeds Bradford on 5 January 2027.
Checked on against the sources cited in this article (Financial Times via the Irish Times, Majorca Daily Bulletin, OAG, FlyMag, Your Europe).
Have an easyJet flight this winter, to or from Palma or Leeds Bradford? Since early October 2026, many outlets have repeated the same number: 700,000 seats removed. It actually covers three separate stories. The first is a capacity cut the airline has decided for the winter season, and the total varies depending on who reports it. The second is an independent measure published by OAG, which counts something different. The third is easyJet’s full exit from Leeds Bradford, announced for 5 January 2027.
What’s announced: a second wave of 600,000 to 700,000 seats
The figure comes from easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis. Quoted by the Financial Times on 8 October 2026, he said the airline is removing another 600,000 to 700,000 seats from its schedule, from autumn 2026 through March 2027. The « 700,000 » headline uses the top of that range. It is not a figure published in an easyJet statement. We couldn’t read easyJet’s statement or its passenger rights page, because our research tool was refused access. Everything attributed to easyJet therefore comes from press quotes.
The reason given is jet fuel. Cutting capacity in the low season limits how much unhedged fuel the airline has to buy, according to the statement quoted by the Irish Times on 8 October, then by UVET on 19 October 2026. The backdrop is fuel costs rising since the Middle East conflict began in February 2026. When it reported half-year results in May 2026, easyJet put a $100-a-tonne move in jet fuel at about £35 million for the second half of 2026, according to a MarketBeat summary published on 21 May 2026. Another summary gives about £40 million. The gap isn’t explained, so we keep the first figure, with its source.
A seat removed isn’t a flight cancelled. Cutting capacity can also change a timetable without dropping the flight. easyJet says it prefers routes with several daily departures, so it can move passengers to another flight, according to Euro Weekly News on 11 October 2026. The word « cancelled » doesn’t describe every passenger’s situation.
The total is harder to pin down. The press talks about around 1.4 million seats, adding a first cut of around 700,000 seats announced over summer 2026, with no exact date, to the second wave. Euro Weekly News gives a range of 1.3 to 1.4 million. Against a winter offer of 50 million seats, that works out to about 2.8%, which the press rounds up to 3%. It is not OAG’s 2.8% figure, which is calculated on a different base.
| Source | Date | Published figure | Measurement base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenton Jarvis, quoted by the Financial Times | 8 October 2026 | 600,000 to 700,000 more seats | Seats put on sale, schedule from October 2026 to March 2027 |
| Euro Weekly News | 11 October 2026 | Total of 1.3 to 1.4 million | Two waves added together; about 2.8% (rounded up to 3% by the press) of 50 million seats |
| Majorca Daily Bulletin, citing TTG | 9 October 2026 | About 3,500 flights removed | Winter 2026-27 schedule; list not published by easyJet |
| UVET, citing the FT | 19 October 2026 | Close to 1.4 million in total | Winter schedule, first summer wave with no date |
| OAG | 20 October 2026 | Net drop of 2.8%, about 1.1 million seats | Published timetables, independent measure |
| TRAVEL Extra | 25 October 2026 | 2.8% overall; Malpensa and Luton among the biggest drops | Not stated in the article; same 2.8% figure as OAG, original source not named |
| AirHelp | 3 November 2026 | About 1.1 million seats, according to OAG | Published timetables, Southend-Palma cited |
Source: Irish Times, 8 October 2026; Majorca Daily Bulletin, 9 October 2026; Euro Weekly News, 11 October 2026; UVET, 19 October 2026; OAG, 20 October 2026; TRAVEL Extra, 25 October 2026; AirHelp, 3 November 2026; checked on 5 November 2026.
easyJet hasn’t published the list of routes hit by the second wave. Beyond Palma and Leeds Bradford, we don’t know which routes are disappearing.
An independent measure, lower, that doesn’t line up
OAG, which tracks published timetables, estimates on 20 October 2026 that easyJet’s capacity falls 2.8% over winter 2026-27, about 1.1 million seats. OAG counts what is scheduled on the timetable, while easyJet talks about seats withdrawn from sale. The two bases don’t match: don’t compare the 1.4 million with this figure, and don’t add them together.
TRAVEL Extra names Malpensa and Luton among the biggest airport drops for easyJet, without attributing that figure to OAG. OAG, for its part, reports a 58.7% drop on the Southend-Palma route. These are route-level figures, not a measure of the whole network: a network-wide drop doesn’t tell you whether your route is affected. Only the timetable for your booking answers that.
Palma de Mallorca: fewer easyJet flights, but more seats at the airport
Palma airport (PMI)
The first figure comes from AECFA data, reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin on 27 September 2026: over the winter, compared with 2025-26, easyJet cuts its flights to Palma by 21%, Ryanair by 18%, and Vueling increases its flights by 18%. Overall, flights to Palma fall 9% and passengers by about 1%. The second comes from ALA, the Balearic airlines association, reported by the same paper on 26 October 2026: the airport expects 7.98 million seats scheduled for the winter season, up 6%.
Eurowings has six aircraft based in Palma for the winter, according to the same ALA article, which gives no easyJet share of the seats. So read the +6% as a figure about the airport, and the -21% as a figure about one airline.
Euro Weekly News wrote on 28 September 2026 that six UK airports are losing half their flights to Palma this winter, with Southend at the top and a drop of up to 83%. The method isn’t detailed in the extract we read.
- easyJet flights to Palma: -21% over the winter (AECFA, 27 September 2026).
- Seats scheduled at the airport: +6%, or 7.98 million (ALA, 26 October 2026).
- easyJet’s exact timetable to Palma: not published in the sources we checked, check easyjet.com.
If your Palma trip goes ahead, a day on the island’s north-west coast gets you out of the airport and into the Serra de Tramuntana, via Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller. The tour lasts 7 hours (420 minutes) and runs between 6 November and 5 December 2026. Choose your date once your flight time is confirmed.
| Source | What is measured | easyJet | Ryanair | Palma, total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AECFA, via the Majorca Daily Bulletin (27 September 2026) | Flights, winter season compared with 2025-26 | -21% | -18% | -9% of flights, about -1% of passengers |
| ALA, via the Majorca Daily Bulletin (26 October 2026) | Seats scheduled over the winter season | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | +6%, or 7.98 million seats |
Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin, 27 September 2026 (AECFA data) and Majorca Daily Bulletin, 26 October 2026 (ALA data); checked on 5 November 2026.
Leeds Bradford: easyJet leaves the airport on 5 January 2027
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA)
The announcement dates from August 2026. FlyMag, on 23 August, and AirHelp, on 20 August, report that easyJet ends all its flights to and from Leeds Bradford on 5 January 2027, after sixteen years at the Yorkshire airport. One summary gives 6 January. We keep 5 January, the date given by both main sources.
What does it mean if you’re flying? For bookings after 5 January 2027, AirHelp says you can get a refund or a free transfer to an easyJet flight from Manchester or Liverpool. Flights booked before that date should, in principle, still run, according to an extract from Prolific North. No direct Leeds-Palma route is confirmed for the winter in the sources we read.
One source suggests the season could end as early as late October 2026 for Málaga and Mallorca. The only firm date for the airport remains 5 January 2027. The last Palma to Leeds Bradford rotation isn’t confirmed.
There are alternatives. Jet2 and Ryanair both still fly from Leeds Bradford. Ryanair has announced fallback fares from £29.99 on Leeds Bradford to Málaga, valid until February 2027, according to TRAVEL Weekly on 21 August 2026: check the airline’s site before you decide. Jet2’s discount offer applied to bookings made before 31 August 2026 and has expired. Jet2 also flies to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, a route Ryanair doesn’t fly direct, according to Connexion France.
| Route | Announced status | End of route | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palma (PMI) | Withdrawn | 5 January 2027; last rotation date not confirmed | AirHelp (20 August 2026), Majorca Daily Bulletin (20 August 2026) |
| Málaga (AGP) | Withdrawn | 5 January 2027; end of season possible according to one summary | AirHelp (20 August 2026), Olive Press (20 August 2026) |
| Barcelona (BCN) | Withdrawn | 5 January 2027 | Olive Press (20 August 2026) |
| Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) | Withdrawn | 5 January 2027 | Connexion France (August 2026) |
| Belfast (BFS) | Withdrawn | 5 January 2027 | Travel Extra (August 2026) |
| Geneva | Seasonal route, withdrawn | 5 January 2027 | FlyMag (23 August 2026) |
Source: FlyMag, 23 August 2026; AirHelp, 20 August 2026; checked on 5 November 2026.
Your rights if your flight is cancelled
Compensation, re-routing and refunds
If your flight leaves a UK airport, the UK’s UK261 regime applies, with amounts in pounds. For a flight leaving an EU airport, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies, with amounts in euros. Your Europe, the European Commission’s guide, sums up the rights: a refund or re-routing, plus compensation based on distance.
The notice period is the key point. If the airline tells you at least 14 days before departure, the fixed compensation isn’t due, provided it offers you a re-routing. A shorter notice triggers compensation, unless the re-routing it offers falls within set time windows. If you choose a refund, it must be paid within 7 days.
Fuel costs don’t appear, in the texts and comments we read, as an extraordinary circumstance that would excuse the airline. We found no primary legal source confirming this, so treat it as an open question.
If you’re flying out of Portugal in December, our article on the easyJet strike in Portugal in December 2026 covers that separate case.
| Distance | EU, Regulation 261/2004 | UK, UK261 | 50% reduction if the replacement flight arrives within |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | £220 | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km, and intra-EU beyond 1,500 km | €400 | £350 | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km, outside intra-EU | €600 | £520 | 4 hours |
Source: Your Europe, air passenger rights (EU); legislation.gov.uk, article 7 of UK261 (UK); intra-EU detail from JuridiquePratique, a secondary source; checked on 5 November 2026.
| Notice of cancellation | Fixed compensation | Re-routing that avoids it (window according to JuridiquePratique) |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not due | Not applicable, but a re-routing offer is still required |
| Between 7 and 14 days | Due, unless the re-routing departs no more than 2 hours before the planned flight and arrives less than 4 hours after | Departs no more than 2 hours before, arrives less than 4 hours after |
| Less than 7 days | Due, unless the re-routing departs no more than 1 hour before the planned flight and arrives less than 2 hours after | Departs no more than 1 hour before, arrives less than 2 hours after |
Source: Your Europe for the principle; JuridiquePratique for the time windows, a secondary source to check against the official text; checked on 5 November 2026.
The European reform is not in force yet
The revision of Regulation 261/2004 has gone through several steps in 2026. A political agreement was announced on 15 June 2026, then the European Parliament voted on 7 July 2026: 646 for, 12 against and 3 abstentions, according to LexisNexis. On the delay threshold, the claims firm Flightright, quoted by Air Journal, says the 3-hour threshold is kept. The Council had wanted 4 hours for short-haul and 6 hours for long-haul, which would have protected passengers less. That reading comes from the press: we haven’t read the text that was voted.
- Political agreement: 15 June 2026 (LexisNexis).
- European Parliament vote at third reading: 7 July 2026 (LexisNexis, Air Journal).
- Formal adoption by the Council: announced on 13 July 2026 by LexisNexis, not confirmed on the Council’s website.
- Publication in the Official Journal: not found as of the date we checked.
A December 2026 flight is still governed by the text in force on the date we checked.
What other guides don’t tell you
Three points are presented incompletely or wrongly in the online answers we checked, each with its source.
- Flights to Palma fall 9% this winter (AECFA), while the airport announces +6% of scheduled seats (ALA). The two measures don’t cover the same thing. Majorca Daily Bulletin, 26 October 2026 (accessed 5 November 2026).
- The Which? article on late cancellations dates from 2022. It is often cited as news, but it doesn’t describe the 2026 situation. Which?, article of 7 July 2022 (accessed 5 November 2026).
- A voucher shouldn’t replace a refund you’re owed. According to Airadvisor, a commercial site, a voucher can’t be imposed instead of a refund that is due. Point to confirm against the text of the regulation. Airadvisor, accessed 5 November 2026.
Practical info to plan your winter
- Now: check your flight time in the easyJet app or on easyjet.com, then again the week you travel.
- 5 January 2027: easyJet’s flights from Leeds Bradford end. After that, AirHelp says you can get a free transfer to Manchester or Liverpool; the road journey isn’t verified.
- March 2027: end of the winter season targeted by the capacity cut.
Frequently asked questions
Does easyJet really cut 700,000 seats this winter?
The 600,000 to 700,000 range comes from easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis, quoted by the Financial Times on 8 October 2026 for winter 2026-27. We haven’t read any easyJet statement. OAG, which measures published timetables, puts the net drop at 2.8%. Irish Times, 8 October 2026.
easyJet cancelled flight: what are my rights?
If easyJet cancels your flight, you can ask for a full refund within 7 days, or for a re-routing. Fixed compensation is added if the notice is less than 14 days, unless extraordinary circumstances apply, and unless the re-routing offered falls within the time windows (to check against the official text). For a flight leaving an EU airport it is €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance; from the UK it is £220, £350 or £520. Sources: legislation.gov.uk, article 5 of UK261 and Your Europe, both checked on 5 November 2026.
easyJet flight cancelled: how long does a refund take?
If you choose a refund, it must be paid within 7 days, under article 8 of UK261. The principle also appears in the EU regulation. The refund goes to the original payment method. To ask, use the bookings section of your easyJet account. Airadvisor says a voucher can’t be imposed instead of a refund that is due: point to confirm against the text of the regulation. A commercial site also mentions a voucher valid for 12 months, with no official source: to check.
easyJet cancellation compensation: how much?
For a flight leaving an EU airport, compensation is €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €400 for an intra-EU flight over 1,500 km. It reaches €600 for other flights over 3,500 km. From the UK it is £220, £350 or £520. It isn’t due if the notice is 14 days or more. Source: Your Europe, checked on 5 November 2026.
Does the cost of jet fuel entitle you to compensation?
The reason easyJet gives, fuel, doesn’t by itself set the right to compensation. What matters is the notice period and the circumstances of the cancellation. We found no primary legal source that treats fuel costs as an extraordinary circumstance: check with a lawyer or your national authority. Reason quoted by the Irish Times, 8 October 2026.
Is easyJet leaving Leeds Bradford?
Yes. easyJet announces the end of all its flights to and from Leeds Bradford on 5 January 2027, after sixteen years there. The routes affected are Palma, Málaga, Barcelona, Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Belfast, plus a seasonal link to Geneva. Sources: FlyMag, 23 August 2026 and AirHelp, 20 August 2026.
easyJet Leeds Bradford cancellation: will my flight before January still run?
According to an extract from Prolific North, easyJet flights from Leeds Bradford before 5 January 2027 should, in principle, still run. For bookings after 5 January, AirHelp says you can get a refund or a free transfer to an easyJet flight from Manchester or Liverpool. Check the status in the app, as the sources we read don’t give an up-to-date list.
easyJet Leeds Bradford to Belfast: does the route still run?
No. Travel Extra reports in August 2026 that easyJet also ends the Belfast to Leeds Bradford route in January 2027, like the airport’s other routes. Belfast is therefore on the list of withdrawn routes. Travel Extra, August 2026, accessed 5 November 2026.
easyJet Palma schedule: does the route continue in winter?
Yes, easyJet flights to Palma continue in winter, but with 21% fewer flights according to AECFA data, reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, 27 September 2026. Exact timetables aren’t in the sources we read: check easyjet.com or the app before you book a transfer or an excursion.
easyJet from Paris, Bordeaux or Lyon to Palma: does the route change this winter?
No change to the Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle to Palma route is announced in the sources we read, and no confirmed change appears for Bordeaux or Lyon. Duration and frequency haven’t been checked: consult easyjet.com before you book, and don’t trust a duration or a price found online without a date.
Is the European passenger rights reform in force?
No, not on the date we checked. The European Parliament voted the revision on 7 July 2026, with 646 for, 12 against and 3 abstentions. The formal adoption by the Council, announced on 13 July by LexisNexis, isn’t confirmed on the Council’s website, and we found no Official Journal publication. The current rules apply. Source: LexisNexis, July 2026.
How do I cancel an easyJet flight?
If easyJet cancels the flight, you don’t need to cancel it yourself: request a refund or a re-routing in the bookings section of your easyJet account. If you cancel, your fare conditions apply, and they often make the ticket non-refundable. Source: Airadvisor, a commercial site accessed 5 November 2026.
Sources
- Irish Times, 8 October 2026 : statement by Kenton Jarvis, quoted by the Financial Times
- Majorca Daily Bulletin, 9 October 2026 : about 3,500 flights removed, citing TTG
- Euro Weekly News, 11 October 2026 : total of 1.3 to 1.4 million and share of the winter offer
- UVET, 19 October 2026 : citing the FT
- OAG, 20 October 2026 : net drop of 2.8% on published timetables
- Majorca Daily Bulletin, 27 September 2026 : flights to Palma, AECFA data
- Majorca Daily Bulletin, 26 October 2026 : seats scheduled at Palma, ALA data
- FlyMag, 23 August 2026 : end of easyJet flights at Leeds Bradford
- AirHelp, 20 August 2026 : routes affected and options offered to passengers
- TRAVEL Weekly, 21 August 2026 : Ryanair fares at Leeds Bradford and Jet2 offer
- Your Europe, European Commission : air passenger rights (official)
- legislation.gov.uk, UK261, articles 5, 7 and 8 : notice, compensation and refunds (official)
- LexisNexis, July 2026 : steps in the revision of Regulation 261/2004 (summary)
- JuridiquePratique : re-routing windows and intra-EU detail (secondary source)
- Which?, 7 July 2022 : older article, cited for its date
Information accessed on 5 November 2026. Press figures can be revised: check your booking in the easyJet app and the official sources before you travel.
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