Dart Group PLC will reveal annual results for the year to the end of March 2017 on July 13. In a trading update, it said profits before tax were expected ‘to be ahead of current market expectations as a result of lower than anticipated winter losses”.

Analysts had predicted a fall in profits to around £90.7 million for the year. However, guidance for 2016/2017 is now put at between £97 million and £100 million. In the last financial year, Dart Group reported a pre-tax profit of £104.2 million, an increase of 82%, but expansion and aircraft orders mean this figure is unlikely to be matched in the next few years.

Dart’s leisure businesses, the airline Jet2.com and package brand Jet2holidays, contribute 90% of its income, with revenue from leisure businesses up 15% to £1.26 billion in the last financial year. The airline and Jet2holidays are an integral part of the Dart Group’s portfolio, which also has a distribution and logistics business.

Dart Group added: “Looking ahead to the year ending 31 March 2018, forward bookings in the leisure travel business for summer 2017 are satisfactory.” Jet2.com’s bases at Stansted and Birmingham began operations this week and Dart said both had been a ‘successful launch’.

Jet2.com now flies from nine UK bases to 60 destinations. It has 34 new Boeing 737s on order, which will be in the fleet by January 2019.