The airline carried around 3 million passengers during 2009.

The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. While the airline is primarily a low cost carrier, it does have some freight operations.

Jet2 Limited is a subsidiary of the Dart Group PLC, an aviation services and distribution group. The airline began operating commercial aircraft in 1978 under the name Channel Express (Air Services), initially as a freight operator and then from 2001 operating both freight and passenger charter services using Boeing aircraft to international destinations on mainly short and medium haul flights.

In 2003 the Channel Express established the Jet2.com brand from Leeds Bradford International Airport and essentially started winding-down its Channel Express brand. The company grew from Leeds Bradford Airport with its first flight from Leeds Bradford to Amsterdam, which operated twice daily rotation with two Boeing 737-300 aircraft. New destinations including Alicante, Barcelona, Bergamo, Malaga, Nice and Palma were added in the following months. Faro and Prague were also added by the end of the year.

In December 2004 a second base was opened at Manchester Airport with the airline operating from terminal 1.

In 2005 Jet2.com opened a base at Newcastle. Later in the year the company acquired two Boeing 757-200 aircraft, enabling it to fly medium-long haul destinations as well as carrying more passengers on popular existing routes. The Boeing 757 aircraft only operate on routes from Leeds/Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle airports. These aircraft helped the company to open two more bases, which were Blackpool and Edinburgh.

In 2006 the company relocated from Bournemouth to Leeds and was renamed Jet2 Limited. Following the rebranding Jet2.com continued to operate the same contract charter and freight flights that had been operated under the Channel Express name. Since the relocation, Jet2.com have been based in offices in Yeadon adjacent to Leeds Bradford Airport.

Since 2006 the airline has acquired further Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft, all previously owned by other airlines, and have opened a base at Belfast International Airport. A new base will open at East Midlands Airport in spring 2010.

Unlike other low-cost carriers, Jet2 tickets can be booked via travel agents as well as over the internet and by telephone. The airline carried 600,000 passengers in 2003, its first year of operation, and 3.8 million passengers on over 34,000 flights in 2007. The Dart Group also has a division, Jet2holidays.com, offering package holidays which combine hotel accommodation and transfers with Jet2 flights. During November and December 2008 the airline operated four direct flights from Leeds Bradford to Newark Liberty International Airport using Boeing 757-200 aircraft, with a series of flights also planned to operate to Newark from both Leeds Bradford and Newcastle during December 2010.

In November 2008 Jet2 changed its slogan from "The North's Low Cost Airline" to "Friendly Low Fares". This preceded the announcement of opening a hub at East Midlands Airport, the first of the airlines outside of the North of England and Scotland. On 20 May as the base opened Jet2.com announced a number of new routes for summer 2011.