AIRLINE easyJet looks poised for the perfect take-off this summer as it moves into the main holiday season with confidence on the back of “enhanced revenue capabilities and operational resilience”.
The low-cost carrier’s strategy of allocating aircraft to the most profitable routes based on demand and generating further revenue from ancillary products such as checked bags and seat assignments is clearly benefiting easyJet as it anticipates capacity returning to pre-pandemic levels this year.
It is interesting, too, that easyJet’s chief executive Johan Lundgren said he expects the airline’s holidays division to deliver full-year profits of more than £80 million as it ramps up capacity ahead of the peak European summer holiday season.
easyJet launches three new routes for summer 2023
Launched back in 2019, easyJet Holidays’ growth was thwarted by Covid but it is now on a strong upward trajectory as holidaymakers seek respite from the cost of living crisis and prioritise travelling for discretionary spend – choosing low-cost airlines and brands which provide good value for money.
As the UK-based carrier revealed an 80% surge in revenues to £2.7 billion in the first half with pre-tax losses for the six months to March 31 down 25% to £415 million compared with the same period a year earlier, Mr Lundgren noted that the airline’s “optimised network combined with the strong demand seen for flights and holidays, enhanced revenue capabilities and operational resilience, means we enter the summer with confidence”.
Scottish airports will also benefit this summer as easyJet, which operates bases at both Edinburgh and Glasgow and announced plans to establish its ninth UK base at Birmingham Airport, have new routes this summer, including Porto and Lisbon from Glasgow Airport and, from Edinburgh Airport, Santorini, Antalya and Lisbon.
Mr Lundgren noted: “EasyJet Holidays expects to deliver full-year profits of more than £80m as it continues its rapid growth in the UK alongside its entry into the European package holiday market.
“From summer, it will start selling holidays in Switzerland which will be the first of a number of planned new European markets.”
Speaking in The Herald earlier this week, Andy Cliffe, who became chief executive of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports’ owner AGS in January, highlighted the economic importance of securing better connectivity for Glasgow and Scotland as a whole.
Glasgow Airport boss Andy Cliffe: 'Powerful' city not punching weight
easyJet’s commitment to Scotland’s two biggest cities will also go a long way to helping their airports’ continued recovery from the turbulence of the last three years.
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