EasyJet hopes ticket sales will reach pre-pandemic levels, with planes nearing full capacity by the end of the financial year.
The economy flight provider also revealed on Thursday that it had cut its losses in the six months to the end of March.
He said the pre-tax loss reached £557m in the half, up from £645m a year earlier.
“EasyJet has trimmed its year-on-year losses, best of forecast,” chief executive Johan Lundgren said.
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“Pent-up demand and the removal of travel restrictions have enabled a strong and sustained recovery in trade, which has been further boosted by our actions.”
The company said it would put almost as many seats up for sale in the final three months of this fiscal year as it did in 2019. Capacity up for sale will be 97%, it said.
And hopes of selling them seem good. Over the past 10 weeks, airline customers have booked 6% more tickets than they did in the same period two years ago.
“We’ve transformed the airline during the pandemic, allowing us to emerge with renewed strength, backed by a product, network and service that customers truly value,” Lundgren said.
This has included moving aircraft to different routes in better performing markets.
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“Since Easter we have carried up to a quarter of a million customers and 1,600 flights a day and in the second half of the year leisure and domestic capacity will be above 2019 levels,” the chief executive said.
Increase in the price of kerosene
The company has successfully weathered massive jet fuel price spikes in recent months.
Over the past year the price of a tonne of fuel has nearly doubled to $762 (£617), easyJet said.
Yet the cost of the fuel bill that easyJet had to pay for each seat on planes taking off was actually almost a fifth lower. The company said it purchased enough fuel in advance to withstand the big hikes.
On a call with reporters, Lundgren admitted that could change as his long-term positions unwind.
“We are in a good position, as you can see compared to our competitors…but you are absolutely right that it will come to us like all other companies in terms of cost,” he said. he declares.
But ultimately, even if prices are to rise, easyJet could benefit as its more expensive competitors appear less attractive to customers squeezed by the higher cost of living.
“easyJet has always performed well against others in a recession because people will be much more concerned about value for money,” he said.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-05-19 09:52:48
