Easyjet sees strong first half despite Middle East instability

The company added that it was able to mitigate the impact of the war thanks to capacity growth in areas where demand was mounting and that bookings had recovered since late November.

"We see positive booking momentum for summer 2024 with travel remaining a priority for consumers," said chief executive Johan Lundgren in a statement.

Easyjet said it expected smaller losses in the first half of the year and saw strong summer bookings despite a write-down of about £40m due to the conflict in the Middle East.

The London-listed airline reported a narrower first-quarter headline loss before tax of £126m, compared with a loss of £133m a year ago.