EasyJet first quarter boosted by Thomas Cook collapse
EasyJet has got off to a good start this year with almost a 10% increase in revenue for the first quarter.
It said it had benefitted from Thomas Cook’s collapse last September, lower capacity from rival airlines, robust demand, a strong performance in Berlin, and further increases in ancillary sales as well as the introduction of a new car rental offering from Car Trawler.
Group revenue reached £1,425 million for the three months up to the end of December, £1,124 million of which was from passenger revenue. Ancillary revenue rose 10.8% to £301 million.
As a result, easyJet expects its first half losses to be lower than the £275 million it lost in the first six months of 2019.
EasyJet holidays, which was launched on November 28, is expected to ‘at least break even’ by the end of September, it said.
Passenger numbers in the quarter increased by 2.8% to 22.2 million, while capacity was up only 1% to 24.3 million seats, so the airline’s load factor rose 1.6 percentage points to 91.3%.
"I’m pleased that we have made a strong start to the year with continued positive momentum. The improvement in our revenue per seat has been driven by our self-help revenue initiatives combined with robust customer demand and a lower capacity growth market," said easyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren.
"Cost per seat is in line with expectations, helped by our Operational Resilience programme which has not only improved overall customer satisfaction in the quarter but also enabled us to manage our costs.
"easyJet holidays launched successfully with customers looking to benefit from our unrivalled flexibility, great value and handpicked hotels."
EasyJet began offsetting the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all its flights last November, which it said had been ‘received very positively by customers, staff and other stakeholders’.
"We, of course, recognise offsetting is only an interim measure and we continue to work on reducing our carbon footprint in the short term, coupled with long-term work to support the development of new technology, including hybrid and electric planes, to reinvent aviation for the long-term," added Lundgren.
EasyJet confirmed that Ryanair’s chief operations officer has joined as COO. Ryanair had attempted to delay the move until 2021, citing a non-compete clause in his contract, but a court ruled that he was free to join its rival airline last December.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026