Coronavirus: EasyJet to keep middle seats empty | Lockdown to be extended by three weeks | Barratt chiefs take pay cut

He told reporters: "I expect that to happen. That is something that we will do because I think that is something that the customers would like to see.

"Then we will work out with the authorities and listen to the customers' views and points on what they believe is the right thing to do, particularly in the start-up period."

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The majority of easyJet aircraft are configured with mainly three seats in a row, either side of the aisle.

The change would involve passengers in window and aisle seats having an empty seat next to them.

Mr Lundgren said it will be possible to keep middle seats empty as "our assumption is that load factors will not get back to normal early on".

He went on: "I'm talking about this as an initial phase. Nobody knows for how long that phase will be.

"We're also looking at various disinfection programmes on the aircraft, we're in discussions with Easa (the European aviation safety regulator) if there are other additional measures we should take.

"I think it's important that customers understand that we are taking this very seriously and first and foremost our concern is about the customers' well-being and our people's well-being.

"That is what's going to take priority in this whole thing, because that is the way you get the confidence back with people taking flights again."

Mr Lundgren did not speculate on the financial impact of the measure, but low-cost airlines often rely on filling planes to make flights profitable.

EasyJet said it is set to report underlying pre-tax losses of between £185 million and £205 million for the six months to March 31, against losses of £275 million a year earlier.

But the airline added said statutory pre-tax losses of up to £380 million are expected due to a hit of as much as £185 million for fuel and foreign exchange hedging costs.

The group's planes were fully grounded on March 30, but it said more than half of disrupted passengers had chosen vouchers or alternative flights, meaning that bookings for winter are "well ahead" of the previous year.

EasyJet shares jumped as much as 13% in early trade as the update showed a strong performance before the crisis and as it reassured over the group's financial strength to weather the lockdown.

Mr Lundgren described the airline's first-half trading performance as "very strong prior to the impact of coronavirus".

The coronavirus lockdown will be extended for another three weeks, the Government is expected to announce amid renewed warnings that it is still too soon to start easing the restrictions.

Ministers will meet on Thursday morning to agree to prolong the social distancing controls announced on March 23, amid signs the epidemic in the UK is beginning to peak.

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The Cabinet meeting comes after the number of people who have died in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 reached almost 13,000, with growing concern over increasing deaths in care homes.

Top executives at housebuilder Barratt Developments have taken a 20% pay cut as the company announced that it was in the process of putting 85% of its employees on the Government's furlough scheme.

The board, executive manager and the chairman all agreed to the pay cut and to waive their pay rises next year.

Barratt had closed all of its sales centres, construction sites and offices by March 27 to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Between March 23 and April 12, the developed completed 1,349 homes, bringing its total for the year to April 12 to 11,713, a 7% rise.

Barratt managers said that so long as its sites are closed it expects few new reservations and completions.

The developer has also stopped buying any new land, frozen hiring and postponed any capital spending that is not essential.

The board has also decided to withdraw shareholders' 9.8p dividend, saving a total of £100 million that was set to be paid in early May.

Barratt will top up the salaries of its furloughed workers on top of the 80% that the Government will cover, at least until the end of May, the company added.

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