Jet2.com steps on Ryanair's toes as it starts its first Southern England base at Stansted

Jet2.com is to establish London Stansted Airport as its ninth UK base in spring 2017. This will be the first base in the South of England for the Leeds-based airline with proud roots in the North, and will coincide with the launch of its previously announced new base at Birmingham. The LCC, owned by Dart Group PLC, believes that "Stansted has great potential for our holiday business", serving the populations of North and East London and the East of England.

Stansted airport is dominated by Ryanair, Europe's largest and lowest cost LCC, which prices at a 62% discount to Jet2.com. Although Jet2.com competes with Ryanair at all its other bases, nowhere does the Irish airline have the same dominance as at Stansted. Dart Group manages its airline as an integrated division with its package holidays business, which generates 40% of the airline's ticket sales. This gives Jet2.com some protection from pure price-based competition for seats.

Nevertheless, Jet2.com will find Ryanair a formidable competitor at Stansted, especially as Ryanair looks to increase its own sales of integrated leisure products through its website and app through partnerships with travel suppliers.