WHILE disappointed at the outcome of the EU referendum, Jet2 boss Philip Meeson is confident that demand for its flights and package holidays will continue to grow.

Unveiling strong results for parent company Dart Group in the year to March 31, chairman Mr Meeson said people would remain keen to fly from rainy Britain to overseas sun spots.

A fourth flight simulator has been added at Jet2.com’s training centre on Bradford’s Euroway trading estate to cope with the growth; more planes are on order and extra pilots, engineers and other staff have been recruited.

The business now has more than 900 staff, works with 2,700 hotels and serves 379 resorts.

Dart Group’s revenues grew by 12 per cent to £1.4 billion with pre-tax profits soaring by 82 per cent to £104.2 million through strong trading in both the leisure travel business and the Fowler Welch distribution and logistics operations.

Revenues in the Jet2.com flights and Jet2holidays package holiday operations grew by 15 per cent to £1.26 billion, reflecting increased yields from both the flight-only and package holidays business and a 22 per cent increase in package holiday customers to 1.22 million. Jet2,com, based at Leeds Bradford Airport, achieved an average load factor of 92.5 per cent alongside an increase in average net ticket yield of 14 per cent.

It is also adding an eighth operating base at Birmingham Airport to meet strong demand in the Midlands.

Capital expenditure rose from £76.4 million to £213.5million, including buying three used Boeing aircraft boost the current fleet to 63, along with pre-delivery payments for 27 new Boeing aircraft to be delivered between September this year and April 2018.

Pre-tax profit at Fowler Welch rose by £2.1million to £5.4 million.

Philip Meeson said: “The current financial year has started well in both our leisure travel and distribution businesses.

“Although we were disappointed at the result of the recently held referendum, we are confident that our customers will need our specialist food distribution services and will be keen to travel from our rainy islands to the sun spots of the Mediterranean, The Canaries and to European leisure cities.

“We have a resilient leisure travel business. Our strategy is to grow both our flight-only and package holidays products.”