Covid clouds bring softening in demand for EasyJet

The airline says it remains well placed to handle any uncertainty

EasyJet says revenue booked for the second half of its financial year is ahead of 2019 levels. Photograph: David Parry/ PA Wire

British airline EasyJet said on Tuesday it had seen some softening in demand in its first quarter following Covid-19 outbreaks such as the Omicron variant, but it remained well placed to handle the uncertainty.

The group, which has cut costs and prioritised its strongest routes, said it had seen an encouraging start to the October 1st year, with strong demand returning for peak winter holiday periods and increasing demand for summer bookings.

Revenue booked for the second half of its financial year is ahead of 2019 levels, and it is increasing its fleet plan by 25 aircraft, with slots added at Gatwick, Porto, Lisbon and Milan's Linate.

Airlines have been on a rollercoaster of a ride this year, steadily recovering in the first half as first Europe and then Britain reopened for travel, before fears started to grow about the pace of the recovery and as new Covid outbreaks emerged.

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Airline shares plunged on Friday as news of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus broke. Low-cost group Ryanair had already warned that European airlines were in for a fraught end to the year as infection rates in Europe surged.

Chief executive Johan Lundgren said EasyJet had become more flexible during the pandemic, switching quickly to in-demand routes, cutting costs and bolstering its balance sheet, which would enable it to cope with renewed bouts of volatility.

“In summary, we remain mindful that many uncertainties remain as we navigate the winter, but we see a unique opportunity for EasyJet to win customers and take market share from rivals in this period.”

The group reported a headline loss before tax of £1.14 billion (€1.34 billion) for the year to end-September, at the higher end of forecasts, and said first-quarter capacity was expected to be up to about 65 per cent of 2019 levels. It had previously forecast 70 per cent.

For summer 2022 – the fourth quarter of its financial year – it expects capacity to have recovered close to 2019 levels. It did not give a full financial outlook, however, as customers book flights closer to departure preventing clear visibility. – Reuters