EasyJet follows Ryanair and Wizz to plan summer sun takeoff after Omicron 

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said 1.1m extra seats were on sale from its largest airport, London Gatwick.

Burgeoning demand in the UK is set to unleash frenzied competition at EasyJet’s main base.

Britain's EasyJet is following Ryanair and other low-cost rivals by targeting growth this summer after the shadow of Omicron lifts.

The easing of travel restrictions had spurred demand for summer beach destinations such as Greece, Turkey, and Spain, giving the airline cause for optimism.

Its chief executive Johan Lundgren said bookings jumped in Britain when restrictions were reduced earlier this month, and were boosted again when the London government said testing requirements would end in February.

EasyJet had seen similar trends across Europe, notably in France and Switzerland.

He said 1.1m extra seats were on sale from its largest airport, London Gatwick, while it had launched 16 new routes from the UK and had added capacity to 30 destinations.

Burgeoning demand in the UK is set to unleash frenzied competition at EasyJet’s main base, where the carrier is being challenged by a host of other operators. Mr Lundgren said his company plans to deploy 79 jets at the hub, 16 more than prior to the pandemic.

Wizz Air last month acquired 15 pairs of daily operating slots to bolster its Gatwick business, and CEO Jozsef Varadi said this week his company is pulling out all the stops to enhance its UK presence. 

British Airways is also gearing up for the resumption of short-haul trips from Gatwick suspended during the pandemic. Flights will begin from March operated by a new lower-cost subsidiary, BA Euroflyer. Sister company Vueling, IAG’s low-cost arm, is likewise expanding at Gatwick, with the addition of five new routes, the airport said last month.

Ryanair, Europe’s biggest discount carrier, has a smaller presence at Gatwick, but has already announced expansion plans out of Ireland. 

Mr Lungren said: "We see a strong summer ahead, with pent-up demand that will see EasyJet returning to near 2019 levels of capacity with UK beach and leisure routes performing particularly well."

Omicron would continue to have a short-term impact, it said, although it will ramp up capacity from around 50% of pre-pandemic levels in January to 67% for the second quarter.

In November, before the impact of Omicron was clear, EasyJet had forecast capacity of around 70% for the quarter. 

Shares in EasyJet, which have risen 6% in the last 12 months, were little changed in London trade in the session. Mr Lundgren, who bolstered EasyJet's balance sheet with a £1.2bn (€1.4bn) rights issue in September, said unlike other airlines that were retrenching, EasyJet was adding capacity.

Total group revenue for EasyJet's first quarter to end-December increased to £805m against £165m a year ago, while its headline loss before tax for the quarter nearly halved to £213m. 

Reuters, Bloomberg, Irish Examiner