YEADON-based travel firm Jet2 says it is positive about accelerating bookings despite facing up to £383million in losses.

The company with its HQ at Leeds Bradford Airport said bookings for the period approached “seasonal norms as customer confidence in travelling internationally rallied” following the relaxation of UK travel restrictions put in place during Covid.

Jet2 said it was also positive about the summer, reporting “encouraging” booking patterns and highlighted that its flight capacity was 14 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels.

In a statement, it said: “Average load factors for the summer 2022 season are currently 2.5 percentage points behind summer 2019 at the same point (against the 14 per cent increase in seat capacity), with booking momentum accelerating, customer confidence continuing to grow and pricing robust, as customers treat themselves to their long anticipated and well-deserved holidays."

It came as Jet2 said it expects to post a pre-tax loss of up to £383 million for the year to the end of March.

Becky Lane, equity analyst at Jefferies, said that Jet2 is now expecting a loss slightly smaller than predicted by analysts.

Shares in the company increased by 3.4 per cent at the start of trading as a result.