Sir Stelios ‘to launch easyHoliday’
EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is believed to be planning an online travel company using the ‘easy’ name, putting him in direct competition with the low-cost airline of which he remains a shareholder.
Just weeks after he settled a brand dispute with easyJet, in which he agreed they could have exclusive use of the easyJet name to sell ancillary products including holidays in return for 0.25% of the profits, Sir Stelios has announced he will launch his own easyHoliday business.
Under the terms of the deal he signed with easyJet in October, he cannot launch a rival business for 12 months, but he told the Daily Telegraph his online portal selling cheap flights and hotels would start in October 2011.
The news could take the shine off easyJet’s presentation to investors tomorrow of its plans to expand its own holiday business, easyJet Holidays, which will be a joint venture with bed bank lowcosttravel group.
The airline’s chief executive Carolyn McCall is also expected to announce the airline’s first dividend payment to shareholders tomorrow following demands for regular pay-outs from Sir Stelios, the airline’s biggest stakeholder.
By Linsey McNeill
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
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