The operator said Greece's decision, which exempts British passport holders from biometric registration at Greek border crossings, should serve as a model for other destinations as concerns persist over potential disruption arising from the rollout of the EU Entry-Exit System (EES).
The intervention follows lobbying by Jet2 across its destination network, including Greece, to push for EES checks to be paused until systems and processes are working as intended and passenger processing is fully up-to-speed.
Chief executive Steve Heapy said the move reflected a "common-sense" approach and called on other countries to adopt similar measures, arguing holidaymakers should not face disruption while implementation issues remain unresolved.
"We applaud the Greek authorities for acting in the best interests of UK holidaymakers," Heavy said. "Our customers work and save very hard for their holidays, and we will always do everything in our power to ensure they have the very best experience when they travel with us."
The operator, which has put more than 3.5 million seats on sale to Greece this summer, said the pause would ease pressure at border points and improve the arrival and departure experience during the peak season. It also predicted the move could stimulate demand for Greece.
The announcement is likely to reignite wider industry debate around the new system, with operators, airports and other industry heads having repeatedly warned the introduction of the new biometric border checks risk long queues and operational bottlenecks.
Andreas Fiorentinos, secretary general of the Greek National Tourist Organisation, said the suspension underlined Greece's commitment to maintaining a smooth travel experience for British visitors, describing the UK market as a strategic priority. "UK holidaymakers are vital to Greek tourism," he said. "Tourism remains a top government priority and a key pillar of the Greek economy."
The development comes days after Jet2 said it would not introduce surcharges on existing bookings to offset rising costs such as jet fuel, with easyJet holidays and Tui joining the operator shortly after.
