easyJet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EasyJet plc
Easyjet orange.png
FoundedMarch 1995; 26 years ago (March 1995) by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou
SubsidiariesEasyJet UK
EasyJet Europe
EasyJet Switzerland (40%)
EasyJet Holidays
Parent companyEasyGroup (33.73%)[1]
Traded asLSEEZJ
HeadquartersLuton, England, UK
Key people
RevenueDecrease £3,009 million (2020)[1]
Operating incomeDecrease £(777) million (2020)[1]
Net incomeDecrease £(1,079) million (2020)[1]
Employees14,000 (2021)[2]
Websitewww.easyjet.com Edit this at Wikidata

EasyJet plc, styled as easyJet, is a British multinational low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport.[3] It operates domestic and international scheduled services on over 1,000 routes in more than 30 countries via its affiliate airlines EasyJet UK, EasyJet Switzerland, and EasyJet Europe.[4][5] EasyJet plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. EasyGroup Holdings Ltd (the investment vehicle of the airline's founder, Greek-Cypriot businessman Stelios Haji-Ioannou, and his family) is the largest shareholder with a 25.339% stake (as of May 2021).[6] It employs circa 14,000 people, based throughout Europe but mainly in the UK.[2]

EasyJet has seen expansion since its establishment in 1995, having grown through a combination of acquisitions,[7][8] and base openings fuelled by consumer demand for low-cost air travel. The group, along with associate companies EasyJet UK, EasyJet Europe and EasyJet Switzerland, operate more than 300 aircraft. It has 29 bases across Europe, the largest being Gatwick.[9] In 2014, the airline carried more than 65 million passengers,[10] making it the second-largest budget airline in Europe by number of passengers carried, behind Ryanair.[11]

EasyJet was featured in the television series Airline broadcast on ITV which followed the airline's operations at London Luton and later at other bases. Its pilot training scheme was the subject of another ITV television series, easyJet: Inside the Cockpit, which premiered in August 2017.[12]

On 30 March 2020, EasyJet grounded its entire fleet of planes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] They later closed three of their bases.[14]

History[]

Origins and formation[]

EasyJet has its roots in the business activity of Greek-Cypriot Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who reportedly gained an interest in the aviation business after being approached as a potential investor in Virgin Atlantic's Greek franchisee. Recognising a vacant niche in the market, Stelios decided to examine the prospects for launching his own airline, having secured a commitment of a £5 million ($7.7 million) loan from his father.[15] While studying various business models in the industry, Stelios took significant interest in the American operator Southwest Airlines, which had successfully adopted the practice of price elasticity to be competitive with traditionally cheaper buses and attract customers that wouldn't normally have considered air travel. This principle became a cornerstone of EasyJet's operations.[15][16]

In 1995, EasyJet was established by Stelios, being the first company in what would later become the easyGroup conglomerate. Upon launch, it employed just 70 people; the company being based at London Luton Airport, which was traditionally used only by charter flights.[15][17] To encourage the company, Luton Airport chose to give EasyJet free use of a 15,000 square feet building for its headquarters, which it named easyLand; its management style typified minimal overhead, such as an early implementation of the paperless office concept.[15] EasyJet initially operated a pair of wet leased Boeing 737-200 aircraft, capable of seating 130 passengers. These were flown on two routes: Luton to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Early on, EasyJet operated as a 'paper airline', the aircraft themselves being flown and maintained under a lease.[15]

Early promotional activity focused on the airline's relatively low pricing in comparison to incumbent operators.[17] Within its first year, easyJet reportedly carried approximately 40,000 passengers.[17]

In April 1996, the first wholly owned aircraft was delivered to EasyJet, enabling the company's first international route, to Amsterdam, which was operated in direct competition with rival airlines British Airways (BA) and Dutch flag carrier KLM.[15][17] Competitors responded to the emerging EasyJet in different ways; while BA was largely indifferent, KLM allegedly chose to respond with a predatory pricing strategy that led to an investigation by the European Union over unfair competitive practices.[15] Despite commercial pressure from the emergent no-frills sector, traditional airlines have been unable to directly adopt similar practices to EasyJet due to vigorous protection of existing employee privileges by unions.[18]

Until October 1997, all of EasyJet's aircraft were operated by GB Airways, and subsequently by Monarch Airlines and Air Foyle, as EasyJet had not yet received its Air Operator's Certificate.[19]

Floatation[]

On 5 November 2000, EasyJet was floated on the London Stock Exchange.[19] In October 2004, the FL Group, owner of the airlines Icelandair and Sterling, purchased an 8.4% stake in the airline.[20] Over the course of 2005, FL increased its share in the company periodically to 16.9%,[20] fuelling speculation that it would mount a takeover bid for the UK carrier.[21] However, in April 2006, the threat of takeover receded as FL sold its stake for €325 million, securing a profit of €140m on its investment.[22]

In March 2013, EasyJet was promoted to the FTSE 100; during the same month, the company launched its 100th route from Gatwick Airport, offering flights directly from London to Moscow.[23] By 2015, the company was flying routes to more than 130 destinations in 31 countries, operated 26 bases centred around Europe, and had a total of 10,000 employees.[17]

Expansion and acquisitions[]

A Go Fly Boeing 737-300 in 2004

In March 1998, EasyJet purchased a 40% stake in Swiss charter airline TEA Basle for three million Swiss francs. The airline was renamed EasyJet Switzerland and commenced franchise services on 1 April 1999, having relocated its headquarters to Geneva International Airport. Geneva was EasyJet's first new base outside the United Kingdom.[19] In 2002, rival airline Go Fly was purchased for £374 million; the airline inherited three new bases from Go, at Bristol Airport, East Midlands Airport and London Stansted Airport; the acquisition of Go almost doubled the number of Boeing 737-300 aircraft in the EasyJet fleet.[7][24]

In 2002, the airline opened its base at Gatwick Airport. Between 2003 and 2007, it opened additional bases in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, establishing a presence in continental Europe.[19] By 2007, EasyJet was claiming to be operating more flights per day than any other European airline.[25]

On 25 October 2007, EasyJet purchased the entire share capital of GB Airways from the Bland Group.[26] This acquisition was valued at £103.5 million, and was used by the airline to expand its operations at Gatwick,[27] and to establish a base at Manchester Airport.[8][28][29][30][31]

In June 2011, the airline opened its eleventh British base – at London Southend Airport, offering flights to Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Málaga, Jersey, Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.[32]

In July 2017, EasyJet announced it would open a new European headquarters in Austria to enable it to operate after Brexit.[33]

On 28 October 2017, EasyJet announced it will lease 25 former Air Berlin A320 aircraft to operate across EasyJet Europe's network, under its European AOC. Several of these aircraft were based at Berlin-Tegel Airport, before its closure. These aircraft have subsequently been transferred to Berlin-Brandenburg Airport. Previously EasyJet had only operated from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport and Berlin-Tegel Airport, where EasyJet had taken over some of Air Berlin's old services.[34]

On 30 March 2020, EasyJet suspended all flights, grounded its entire fleet, and furloughed its crews due to travel restrictions imposed.[13] This came after the company had flown 650 'rescue flights', taking 45,000 people back home.[35] In April 2020, EasyJet secured a £600 million loan from the UK Government with no environmental conditions attached.[36] In June 2020, EasyJet announced their intention to resume flights, flying half of their routes in July 2020 and up to 75 per cent in August 2020, though with reduced frequency.[37]

In April 2020, EasyJet became involved in a dispute with its owner and largest shareholder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Haji-Ioannou criticised the airline's decision not to seek to cancel the outstanding Airbus order, claiming it would create an additional £4.5bn of capital which the airline could not afford to spend. He threatened to call a general meeting to remove a director every three weeks unless subsequent action was taken. A general meeting was held on 22 May, where shareholders ultimately voted over 99% in favour of the EasyJet board and retaining the Airbus contract.[38]

On 19 May 2020, the company revealed that it had been the subject of a cyber-attack resulting in the release of the personal information of 9 million customers.[39]

On 17 August 2020, EasyJet confirmed in a statement they would be closing three bases in the UK. Stansted, Southend, as well as Newcastle from the end of August due to low levels of air travel demand impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Corporate affairs[]

Business strategy[]

EasyJet, like Ryanair, uses a business model pioneered by Southwest Airlines. Both airlines have adapted this model for the European market through further cost-cutting measures, such as not selling connecting flights or providing complimentary snacks on board. The key points of this business model are high aircraft utilisation, quick turnaround times, charging for extras (such as priority boarding, hold baggage, and food) and keeping operating costs low.[40] One main difference EasyJet and Ryanair have from Southwest is they both fly a young fleet of aircraft. Southwest has an average fleet age of 11.9 years[41] whereas Ryanair's and EasyJet's average fleet ages are just a little over six years each.[42]

Initially, EasyJet's employment strategy was to maintain control with minimal union involvement. During the 2000s, the airline adopted a different approach, deciding to make accommodations for unions.[25]

Originally, much like Southwest, EasyJet did not allocate seats – passengers took any available seats, with the option to pay for "Speedy Boarding", which allowed them to be first onto the aircraft. Since 2012, all passengers are allocated numbered seats before boarding commences, as it was found that this does not slow down boarding times and could earn more revenue than Speedy Boarding. Passengers can pay an additional fee for certain seats such as the front few rows and overwing seats (which have extra legroom).[43]

Financial performance[]

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until August 2020, EasyJet raised over £2.4 billion in new finance. Out of the sum, £600 million came from the Covid Corporate Financing Facility provided by the UK government and over £400m were raised from placement of shares.[44] In November 2020, EasyJet announced that, due to the pandemic and the lockdowns in many countries, it would scale back its reduced flying schedule to no more than 20 percent of capacity.[45] It also announced its first annual loss during the 25 year-history of the company.[46]

EasyJet financial performance
Year ended Passengers flown[nb 1] Load factor Turnover (£m) Profit/loss before tax (£m) Net profit/loss (£m) Basic EPS (p)
30 September 2020 48,100,000 87.2% 3,009 (1,273) (1,079) (264.9)
30 September 2019 96,100,000 91.5% 6,385 430 349 88.6
30 September 2018 88,454,611 92.9% 5,898 578 466 118.3
30 September 2017 80,249,672 92.6% 5,047 408 325 82.5
30 September 2016 73,137,826 91.6% 4,669 495 427 108.4
30 September 2015 68,629,825 91.5% 4,686 686 548 139.1
30 September 2014 64,769,065 90.6% 4,527 581 450 114.5
30 September 2013 60,757,809 89.3% 4,258 478 398 101.3
30 September 2012 58,399,840 88.7% 3,854 317 255 62.5
30 September 2011 54,509,271 87.3% 3,452 248 225 52.5
30 September 2010 48,754,366 87.0% 2,973.1 154.0 121.3 28.4
30 September 2009 45,164,279 85.5% 2,666.8 54.7 71.2 16.9
30 September 2008 43,659,478 84.1% 2,362.8 110.2 83.2 19.8
30 September 2007 37,230,079 83.7% 1,797.2 201.9 152.3 36.62
30 September 2006 32,953,287 84.8% 1,619.7 129.2 94.1 23.18
30 September 2005 29,557,640 85.2% 1,314.4 67.9 42.6 10.68
30 September 2004 24,343,649 84.5% 1,091.0 62.2 41.1 10.34
30 September 2003 20,332,973 84.1% 931.8 51.5 32.4 8.24
30 September 2002 11,350,350 84.8% 551.8 71.6 49.0 14.61
30 September 2001 7,115,147 83.03% 356.9 40.1 37.9 15.2
30 September 2000 5,600,000 263.7 22.1 22.1 11.9

Head office[]

Hangar 89 at London Luton Airport, EasyJet's head office.

EasyJet's head office is Hangar 89 (H89), a building located on the grounds of London Luton Airport in Luton, Bedfordshire; the hangar is located 150 metres (490 ft) from EasyLand, the previous headquarters of the airline. Hangar 89, built in 1974, has 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of office space and can house three aircraft the size of an Airbus A319 at one time. When EasyJet received H89, it had a 1970s-style office setup. The airline modernised the building and painted it orange.[47]

Marketing[]

EasyJet's early marketing slogan was "making flying as affordable as a pair of jeans". It urged travellers to cut out the travel agent. Its original advertising consisted of little more than the airline's telephone booking number painted in bright orange on the side of its aircraft.[19] The specific color that EasyJet uses closely resembles that of the telecommunications corporation Orange and was a subject of dispute between the two companies in 2004 when easyGroup launched a mobile phone subsidiary, easyMobile.[48][49]

The Airline TV series created by LWT and filmed between 1999 and 2007 made EasyJet a household name in the United Kingdom. The series, while not always portraying the airline in a positive light, did much to promote it during this time.[50] The airline has used a number of slogans since its establishment, including "The Web's Favourite Airline", "Come on, let's fly" and "To Fly, To Save" (a parody of British Airways' slogan "To Fly, To Serve"). This was then followed by "[....] by easyJet", with "Europe by easyJet" and "business by easyJet" being the most widely used. It currently uses the slogan "This is Generation easyJet".[51]

Environment[]

In June 2007, EasyJet announced plans for the construction of its own airliner, dubbed EcoJet. It was claimed to possess improved fuel efficiency over contemporary airliners. To achieve this, the EcoJet was described as using propfan engines, as well as being constructed with extensive use of carbon fibre composite material. At the time of the announcement, it was stated that the first flight was scheduled to occur sometime during 2015.[52][53] Speaking at the time, EasyJet chief executive Andy Harrison commented that: "We have not developed a new concept. We have taken ideas from Boeing, Airbus and the engine manufacturers and put them together." Harrison claimed that the EcoJet, combined with other improvements in the industry, would enable a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within eight years.[54] However, there has been few announcements on the project since then.[55]

In February 2011, the airline painted eight of its aircraft with a lightweight, thin "revolutionary nano technology coating" polymer. It works by reducing the build-up of debris and reduces drag across the surface of the aircraft, thus reducing the fuel bill. It was estimated the airline could save 1–2% annually, equating to a £14 million reduction in fuel costs. The coating has already been used on US military aircraft and if successful EasyJet would apply the paint to its whole fleet.[56] In late 2015, EasyJet started making use of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data for the purpose of improving efficiency, cutting costs, and enhancing the customer experience.[57]

On 27 September 2017, EasyJet announced its partnership with an American start-up company Wright Electric with the purpose of developing and introducing a short-haul 120-seat all-electric airline.[55] The propulsion system is said to comprise a series of eight electrically driven ducted fans that are buried in the wings, which are powered by numerous battery packs distributed underneath the cabin floor; it is claimed to possess a range of roughly 335 miles, suitable for about one-fifth of EasyJet's current city routes, and facilitate zero-emission flights, as well as being 50% quieter and 10% less expensive to operate than conventional jet airliners. At the time, EasyJet stated that it intended to introduce the electric aircraft into revenue service within 10 years.[55] In October 2018, EasyJet stated that progress was being made on its electric ambitions, and that the partnerships planned to test a nine-seater electric plane as early as 2019.[58][59]

Since November 2019, easyJet has offset the carbon emissions from all of its flights using carbon offsetting projects that meet either the Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) accreditation. As a result, it is the first major airline in the world to operate net-carbon zero flights across its entire network.[60][61] The airline describes this as an "interim" measure whilst the next generation of aircraft propulsion is developed. Consequently, easyJet announced a partnership with Airbus on a joint research project into zero-emission hydrogen aircraft.[62][63]

Criticism[]

EasyJet has been criticised in Germany for not observing European Union law on compensation (and assistance to passengers) in cases of denied boarding, delays or cancellations (Regulation 261/2004). When flights are cancelled, passengers are supposed to be reimbursed within one week. In 2006, the airline did not always refund tickets in a timely fashion. Passengers occasionally had to wait longer for reimbursement of their expenses.[64][65]

EasyJet has campaigned for the UK to replace air passenger duty (APD) with a new tax that would vary depending on distance travelled and aircraft type.[66]

In July 2008, the United Kingdom Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) criticised a press campaign by the airline, over a misleading environmental claim that its aircraft released 22% fewer emissions than rival airlines. The figures used were not based on emissions produced by an EasyJet aircraft or emissions produced by the airline overall as the advertisement implied, and ASA declared that the airline had broken advertising rules. The judgement that followed reprimanded the airline in April 2007 after it made comments that its aircraft created 30% less pollution per passenger than some of its rivals.[67]

In July 2011, the airline tried to refuse carriage of a boy with muscular dystrophy because he had an electric wheelchair.[68] In separate incidents in 2012, paralympians received similar treatment,[69] and a French court found the airline guilty of three counts of disability discrimination.[70] In January 2017, the company was fined €60,000 by another French court because it had refused to allow a disabled passenger to board in 2010; the company cited security concerns and internal regulations, but said it would not appeal against the ruling.[71]

In September 2013, a passenger who sent a tweet complaining about the airline after his flight was delayed said he was initially told he would not be allowed to board the aircraft because of the posting.[72]

On 27 August 2020, the airline was sued by a woman over discriminatory concerns. The woman had been asked to switch seats twice in a row, in order to accommodate two ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.[73]

European AOC[]

An EasyJet Europe Airbus A319 arrives at Bristol Airport in May 2019. This aircraft is registered in Austria as OE-LQQ.

Following the UK's referendum vote to leave the European Union, EasyJet announced plan to establish an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in another EU member state. This will secure the flying rights of the 30% of EasyJet's network that remains wholly within and between EU states, excluding the UK. EasyJet expects a one-off cost of around £10 million over two years with up to £5 million incurred in the 2017 financial year. The primary driver of the cost is the re-registering of aircraft in an EU AOC jurisdiction.[74] In July 2017, EasyJet announced that it has applied for, and was subsequently granted by the Ministry of Transport, an Austrian Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and operating permit, thereby establishing EasyJet Europe. The new airline is headquartered in Vienna, and will allow EasyJet to continue operating flights across and within European countries after the UK leaves the EU. The first aircraft, an Airbus A320, was re-registered as OE-IVA.[75]

EasyJet announced that the transition would result in no job losses in the UK, as the staff to be employed by EasyJet Europe are already based in the EU27. EasyJet UK staff would continue to be based in Luton. The group will thus comprise three airlines, EasyJet UK, EasyJet Europe, and EasyJet Switzerland, all of which are owned by EasyJet plc, which is itself EU owned and controlled, listed on the London Stock Exchange, and based in the UK.[76] In May 2018, EasyJet confirmed that it was very close to achieving the required majority EU27 share ownership, and that the UK government will nevertheless continue to consider it as a UK airline.[77]

Destinations[]

Top airports by destinations in 2020[78]
Airport IATA Destinations
London–Gatwick LGW 118
Berlin–Brandenburg BER 98
London–Luton LTN 80
Geneva GVA 75
Bristol BRS 74
Manchester MAN 69
Basel/Mulhouse BSL 66
Milan–Malpensa MXP 63
Lyon LYS 48
Venice VCE 45
Amsterdam AMS 43
Paris–Charles de Gaulle CDG 42
Nice NCE 42
Edinburgh EDI 42
Naples NAP 39
Belfast BFS 37
Paris–Orly ORY 28
Liverpool LPL 26
Lisbon LIS 22

EasyJet serves 136 destinations (as of February 2019).[79][80]

Codeshare agreements[]

In 2013, EasyJet entered a commercial agreement with Transaero Airlines to set up a codeshare agreement,[81][82] whereby Transaero acquired the right to sell a certain number of seats on EasyJet's Moscow (Domodedovo) – London (Gatwick) route. This was the first codeshare agreement for EasyJet; it was terminated when Transaero Airlines ceased to operate in October 2015.[83] Citing diminishing demand on the route, EasyJet ceased all flights to Moscow in March 2016.[84]

EasyJet has a reward miles sharing agreement with Emirates.[85]

Fleet[]

Current group fleet[]

An EasyJet Airbus A319-100
An EasyJet Airbus A320-200
An EasyJet Airbus A320neo
An EasyJet Airbus A321neo

The EasyJet plc total fleet comprises entirely Airbus aircraft. As of July 2020, the group operates the following aircraft:[86][87]

EasyJet fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Operator Notes
Airbus A319-100 72 156 EasyJet UK Older aircraft are to be retired and replaced by A320neos
32 EasyJet Europe Older aircraft are to be retired
5 EasyJet Switzerland Older aircraft are to be retired
Airbus A320-200 61 180 EasyJet UK
83 186 EasyJet Europe
22 EasyJet Switzerland
Airbus A320neo 37 92 186 EasyJet UK Deliveries deferred until after 2021[88]
Airbus A321neo 10 16 235 EasyJet UK Deliveries began in July 2018[89]
In the Airbus Cabin Flex (ACF) configuration[90]
4 EasyJet Europe
Total 326 108

All flights operating within the European Union were to be operated, by July 2019, by EasyJet Europe, which operates 45 Airbus A319 and 91 Airbus A320 aircraft.[91] Sister company EasyJet Switzerland operates 6 Airbus A319 and 21 Airbus A320 aircraft.[92]

Fleet strategy and aircraft orders[]

In common with other low-cost carriers, EasyJet has a strategy of operating just one aircraft type. Initially it used Boeing 737 aircraft exclusively, but in October 2002 it ordered 120 Airbus A319 aircraft, plus 120 options.[19][93] Since then, all orders have been from the Airbus A320 family, and the Boeings have been phased out. With the acquisition of GB Airways in 2007, easyJet inherited nine Airbus A320 and six Airbus A321 aircraft. This gave the airline some time to evaluate the feasibility of operating these larger aircraft. Based on this evaluation, EasyJet exchanged 25 A319 orders for A320s in July 2008 and later removed the A321 aircraft from the fleet.[8][28][30][31]

On 18 June 2013, the airline announced an intention to acquire – subject to shareholder approval – 35 Airbus A320 aircraft, for delivery between 2015 and 2017, and 100 Airbus A320neo aircraft for delivery between 2017 and 2022.[94] As part of the agreement, the airline will have purchase rights on a further 100 A320neo aircraft.[94] The current generation A320s and fifty of the A320neos will replace current A319 aircraft.[94]

On 15 May 2017, EasyJet announced the conversion of 30 A320neo orders into A321neo aircraft to be used on busier routes.[90] The then-CEO of EasyJet, Carolyn McCall, stated of the change: "bigger planes would help EasyJet increase capacity in slot-constrained airports at peak times, such as Geneva, Amsterdam and London Gatwick". She added that the A321neos would help to cut costs by 9 percent.[95] The company took delivery of the first A321neo on 18 July 2018 at the Farnborough International Airshow.[96]

On 20 November 2018 EasyJet ordered an additional 17 A320neo, taking their total neo order, including the A321neo, to 147.[97]

On 19 November 2019 EasyJet ordered an additional 12 A320neo, taking the total neo orders, including the A321neo, to 159.[98]

A former EasyJet Boeing 737-200 seen at Zurich Airport in January 1997.

Historical fleet[]

EasyJet has previously operated the following aircraft:[99]

EasyJet historical fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A321-200 2008 2010 Inherited from GB Airways
Boeing 737-200 1995 1997 Both aircraft (G-BECG/G-BECH) were transferred to Virgin Express in 1997 and scrapped by 2005.
Boeing 737-300 1995 2006 Replaced by Airbus A319-100s
Boeing 737-700 2000 2011 Replaced by Airbus A320-200s
A Boeing 757-200, briefly leased for the busy summer of 2010.

Services[]

Booking[]

A Boeing 737-33V in telephone number livery.

Initially, booking was by telephone only; as a means of promoting this, all of the airline's aircraft were painted with the booking telephone number. There is no incentive for travel agents to book flights on the airline because it does not pay commissions, which is an industry-standard practice for low-cost carriers.[19]

In December 1997, one of EasyJet's design and advertising agencies suggested to Stelios Haji-Ioannou that he should consider trialling a website for direct bookings. Haji-Ioannou's reply was: "The Internet is for nerds, it will never make money for my business!" Other executives of the airline saw the potential and approved a website trial involving putting a different telephone reservations number on the website to track success. Once Haji-Ioannou saw the results, he changed his mind and an e-commerce website capable of offering real-time online booking went live in April 1998; this was the first such website for a low-cost carrier in Europe.[19][100][101]

In December 2001, the airline switched from a third-party reservation system to an in-house system.[102] Internet bookings were priced cheaper than booking by telephone to reflect the reduced call centre costs; as a further means of encouraging use of the website, aircraft were repainted with the web address. Within a year, over 50% of bookings were made using the website; by April 2004, the figure had reportedly jumped to 98%.[19]

Cabin and onboard services[]

The cabin of an EasyJet A319, pictured in 2010

EasyJet's aircraft cabins are configured in a single class, high density layout.[103]

The airline's main fleet, comprising Airbus A319, A320/A320neo and A321neo aircraft, carry up to 156, 180/186 and 235 passengers respectively, depending on layout. A typical Airbus A319 carries approximately 140 passengers in a single class configuration, but as the airline does not serve meals on its shorter flights, it opted for smaller galleys and had a lavatory installed in unused space at the rear of the aircraft. The space saved by having smaller galleys allowed for the installation of 156 seats. Due to this seating arrangement, to satisfy safety requirements the airline's Airbus A319 aircraft have two pairs of overwing exits, instead of the standard one-pair configuration found on most Airbus A319 aircraft.[87][104][105]

EasyJet does not provide complimentary meals or drinks on its flights (except for some occasional charter flights operated by the airline). Passengers may purchase items on board from the "EasyJet Bistro" buy on board programme.[106] Onboard sales are an important part of the airline's ancillary revenue; gifts such as fragrances, cosmetics, gadgets and EasyJet-branded items are sold on board, as well as tickets for airport transfer services or train tickets. The airline's monthly inflight magazine is called The Traveller.[107]

The airline had previously provided in-flight entertainment (IFE) in some aircraft, such as the ex-GB Airways fleet, using drop-down screens on some Airbus aircraft; by 2018, all use of IFE had been discontinued. The airline offers headphones for purchase, along with a travel pillow and eyeshades, subject to stock. During 2017, 'Air Time' was introduced on some EasyJet Switzerland flights, which enables passengers to connect to watch a selection of films and read books through an on-board WiFi network; this service is provided by Rakuten.[108]

Frequent flyer, business travel and loyalty products[]

Three distinct loyalty products are offered, tailored towards business and frequent flyers. These are Flexi Fare, EasyJet Plus and a new frequent traveller loyalty programme called Flight Club. Flexi Fare[109] is a type of ticket that is usually more expensive than the regular fare and comparable to a business ticket with other airlines. This ticket offers additional flexibility, including unlimited free date changes within a set period, free route changes, complimentary checked baggage (1x20kg), an increased carry-on baggage allowance, and a £7.50 on board refreshment voucher. EasyJet Plus is an annual subscription product targeted at frequent flyers,[110] both business and leisure. This service offers free allocated seating (including extra legroom), priority check-in, fast track security, speedy boarding and extra cabin baggage. The airline's loyalty programme is called Flight Club.[111]

EasyJet Hotels and EasyJet Holidays[]

On 14 December 2004, EasyJet and Hotelopia, a subsidiary of First Choice Holidays, launched the co-branded EasyJetHotels accommodation booking service. EasyJetHotels offers accommodation products throughout the airline's network. Customers booking flights through the airline's website are provided with quotes for a number of hotels at their destination. Alternatively, customers can book accommodation separately at the EasyJetHotels website.[112][113]

On 28 June 2007, the airline expanded its relationship with Hotelopia by launching EasyJetHolidays, which offers Travel Trust Association protected package holidays made up of EasyJet flights and Hotelopia accommodation products.[114][115]

On 6 November 2010, the airline started a venture with Low Cost Travel Group, to offer flights dynamically packaged with Low Cost Travel Group's accommodation through the EasyJet Holidays website. As of March 2011, EasyJet Holidays has provided holidays and city breaks to all of the airline's routes.[116]

A mid November 2019 report indicated that the company planned to relaunch the package holiday business, after the bankruptcy of former competitor Thomas Cook.[117]

"The total European package holidays market is worth around £61bn per year ... we know customers want holidays with various durations and not the traditional seven and 14 nights. The UK alone is a £13bn market and has grown by 6% annually," according to a company spokesperson.

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Passengers = Earned seats flown, including "no-shows" (empty paid seats), promotional seats and those provided to staff for business travel, for both EasyJet UK and EasyJet Switzerland

Citations[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Annual Report 2020" (PDF). easyjet. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "What we do". easyjet. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Company Profile | Reuters.co.uk". Uk.reuters.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Route Map | Flights to European Destinations and Beyond". easyJet. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. ^ "EasyJet airline details". theAirDB. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Holding(s) in Company". investis.com.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "EasyJet buys Go for £374m". BBC News. 16 May 2002. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c "EasyJet agrees to buy GB Airways". BBC News. 25 October 2007. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  9. ^ "Annual report and accounts 2016" (PDF). EasyJet. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  10. ^ "All Services 2012". Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  11. ^ "Annual Report 2009" (PDF). Ryanair. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  12. ^ "ITV commissions ground-breaking documentary following easyJet's rookie pilots from ITN Productions". ITN. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b "EasyJet grounds entire fleet of planes due to virus". BBC News. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Dunn, Graham (17 August 2020). "EasyJet confirms axing of three UK bases". Flight Global.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Rigby, Rhymer (1 August 1997). "UK: Cheap and cheerful". managementtoday.co.uk.
  16. ^ Miller, Charles (20 June 2013). "Ryanair and Easyjet: The history of the peanut airlines". BBC News.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Smith, Oliver (10 November 2015). "EasyJet at 20: the low-cost airline, then and now". The Telegraph.
  18. ^ Martin, Ben (7 November 2015). "Challenges on the horizon as easyJet turns 20". The Telegraph.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Key events in our history". EasyJet. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "Prospectus September 2007". FL Group. p. 31. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  21. ^ "Easyjet shares rise on bid talk". BBC News. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  22. ^ "FL Group's sale of EasyJet holding puts an end to months of takeover speculation". Financial Times. 6 April 2006. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  23. ^ Frac, Kevin (1 July 2010). "CFO Chris Kennedy Pilots EasyJet, Lands on FTSE 100 – CFO Insight". Cfo-insight.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  24. ^ "Circular regarding proposed acquisition of Go" (Press release). EasyJet. 24 May 2002. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b Bamber, Greg J.; Gittell, Jody Hoffer; Kochan, Thomas A.; von Nordenflytch, Andrew (2009). "Chapter 5". Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging their Employees. Cornell University Press, Ithaca. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  26. ^ "Easyjet agrees to buy GB Airways". BBC News. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  27. ^ "From Bland to orange: GB Airways acquisition will make easyJet #1 at Gatwick". anna.aero. 2 November 2007.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b "EasyJet plc agrees to acquire GB Airways Limited" (Press release). EasyJet. 25 October 2007. Archived from the original on 27 January 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  29. ^ Jones, Marc (18 January 2008). "Regulator clears easyJet's GB Airways acquisition". Reuters. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b "EasyJet to become North West's largest airline" (Press release). EasyJet. 17 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b "Acquisition of GB Airways" (PDF). EasyJet. 25 October 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  32. ^ Millward, David (16 June 2011). "EasyJet to open new base at Southend". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  33. ^ "EasyJet to set up Austrian HQ to operate EU flights after Brexit". The Guardian. 14 July 2017.
  34. ^ "easyJet clinches parts of Air Berlin for German expansion". Reuters. 27 October 2017.
  35. ^ Parsons, Matthew (30 March 2020). "EasyJet Grounds Entire Fleet, Furloughs Crew After Finishing Rescue Flights". Skift. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  36. ^ Sandra Laville Environment correspondent. "Transport secretary promised EasyJet not to levy green taxes | Business". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  37. ^ "EasyJet to resume flights across most European routes by August". The Guardian. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  38. ^ "Sir Stelios fails in his bid to get the board sacked at easyJet". Evening Standard. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  39. ^ "EasyJet reveals cyber-attack exposed 9m customers' details". The Guardian. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  40. ^ Ottink, Frank (7 December 2004). "EasyJet will soon be bigger than Ryanair". Yeald. Archived from the original on 9 December 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  41. ^ "Southwest Airlines Fleet Age". airfleets.net. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  42. ^ "EasyJet Fleet Age". airfleets.net. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  43. ^ Dan Milmo (5 September 2012). "EasyJet to launch allocated seats on all flights". The Guardian.
  44. ^ Georgiadis, Phillip (14 August 2020). "EasyJet raises further £600m as Covid-19 disruption continues". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  45. ^ "EasyJet scales back flying capacity due to lockdowns". Arab News. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  46. ^ "EasyJet slumps to first annual loss amid pandemic". BBC News. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  47. ^ "New headquarters for EasyJet at London Luton Airport". EasyJet. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  48. ^ Julia Day (16 August 2004). "Easy brand's future may not be orange". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  49. ^ Duncan Walker (11 August 2004). "Can you 'own' a colour?". BBC News. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  50. ^ ""Airline" (1999)". IMDb. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  51. ^ "This is Generation easyJet". TV Ad Music. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  52. ^ Dan Milmo (14 June 2007). "EasyJet unveils 'ecoJet'". The Guardian.
  53. ^ "EcoJet: The Prius of the Skies". science20.com. 2 October 2008.
  54. ^ Crandell, Kimberly (19 June 2007). "EasyJet unveils low-emission 'EcoJet' aircraft". chinatravelnews.com.
  55. ^ Jump up to: a b c Robinson, Tim (6 October 2017). "Can easyJet short circuit electric airliner flight?". Royal Aeronautical Society.
  56. ^ Sumberg, Jonathan (13 February 2011). "EasyJet paint job makes fuel bills less of a drag". BBC News. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  57. ^ Powley, Tanya (16 November 2015). "EasyJet looks to AI to cut delays and deliver its bacon butties". Financial Times.
  58. ^ "easyjet will launch first electric plane in 2019". designboom.com. 30 November 2018.
  59. ^ "EasyJet makes progress with electric aircraft plan". Reuters. 29 October 2018.
  60. ^ correspondent, Gwyn Topham Transport (19 November 2019). "EasyJet to offset carbon emissions from all its flights". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  61. ^ "Carbon offsetting". www.easyjet.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  62. ^ Board, Editorial (23 September 2020). "Sustainable flights, easyJet and Airbus work on zero-emission aircraft | SmartGreen Post | news from the environment". Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  63. ^ "ZEROe". Airbus. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  64. ^ Brignall, Miles (16 September 2006). "Are you receiving us, EasyJet?". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  65. ^ Brignall, Miles (23 September 2006). "Take this on board, EasyJet". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  66. ^ Dunn, Graham (18 September 2007). "EasyJet urges new tax to replace air passenger duty as part of green push". Flight International. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  67. ^ Sweney, Mark (2 July 2008). "EasyJet ads criticised over green claims". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  68. ^ "EasyJet discriminatory wheelchair policy". The Guardian. 27 June 2011.
  69. ^ "EasyJet accused of discriminating against disabled passengers". AOL.
  70. ^ "EasyJet loses disability discrimination case in France". BBC News. 13 January 2012.
  71. ^ "French court fines easyJet over refusal to let disabled passenger board". The Guardian. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  72. ^ Felicity Morse (25 September 2013). "EasyJet threatens not to let passenger board after he criticises airline on Twitter". The Independent. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  73. ^ "Passenger sues easyJet after crew told her to move seats to satisfy ultra-Orthodox Jews". The Guardian. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  74. ^ "easyJet Media Centre Trading statement". mediacentre.easyjet.com. 31 December 2016.
  75. ^ "EasyJet Europe nimmt Betrieb mit österreichischem AOC und Betreiberbewilligung auf" [EasyJet Europe starts operating with an Austrian AOC and operator license]. austrianwings.info. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  76. ^ "update on European AOC". mediacentre.easyjet.com.
  77. ^ Moores, Victoria (24 May 2018). "EasyJet confirmed as UK airline, despite EU ownership". Air Transport World. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  78. ^ "Flights 2020 / 2021 | easyJet.com". www.easyjet.com.
  79. ^ "EasyJet Route Map". EasyJet. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  80. ^ "EasyJet Website". EasyJet. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  81. ^ "Transaero Airlines and EasyJet Sign Commercial Agreement Press Statement". Archived from the original on 23 February 2015.
  82. ^ "EasyJet – Transaero codeshare". breakingtravelnews.com.
  83. ^ "Transaero to Cease Operations October 26". frequentbusinesstraveler.com. October 2015.
  84. ^ "EasyJet to Halt Moscow Flights on Slumping Demand". Bloomberg. 11 September 2015.
  85. ^ "with Emirates Skywards". easyJet. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  86. ^ "GINFO Search Results Summary". Civil Aviation Authority. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  87. ^ Jump up to: a b Airbus Orders and Deliveries (XLS), accessed via "Orders & deliveries". Airbus. Airbus SAS. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017. The figures include aircraft delivered to sister airlines EasyJet Europe and EasyJet Switzerland.
  88. ^ "EasyJet Gains on Deferral of More Airbus Plane Orders". Bloomberg.com. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  89. ^ "easyJet to introduce larger Airbus A321neo aircraft". easyjet.com. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  90. ^ Jump up to: a b Mellon, James (18 July 2018). "Pictures: EasyJet's first A321neo makes Farnborough debut". FlightGlobal. Reed Business Information Limited. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  91. ^ "Austro Control GmbH – Search Online". Austrocontrol.at. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  92. ^ "Swiss Aircraft Register". bazl.admin.ch.
  93. ^ Osborne, Alistair (15 October 2002). "Snub for Boeing as Airbus lands EasyJet deal". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  94. ^ Jump up to: a b c "easyJet Media Centre". easyjet.com. 18 June 2013.
  95. ^ "EasyJet's losses widen on sterling weakness". Financial Times. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  96. ^ "easyJet takes delivery of first A321neo". Pilot Career News. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  97. ^ "EasyJet orders additional 17 A320neos". Airbus. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  98. ^ "EasyJet orders 12 more Airbus A320neo aircraft". Airbus. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  99. ^ EasyJet historic fleet airfleets.net. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  100. ^ "Stelios: Nerds showed me the way". SHY-Connection.com. 11 July 2005. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  101. ^ "Q&A with easyGroup's Stelios Haji-Iaonnou". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 9 July 2001. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  102. ^ "EasyJet wins reservation system copyright case". out-law.com. 8 October 2004. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  103. ^ "EasyJet Boosts Order For Airbus A319s By 52 Aircraft". EADS. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  104. ^ "A319 Cabin layout". Airbus. Archived from the original on 8 December 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  105. ^ "Airbus family differences". Aircraftspotting.net. Archived from the original on 10 December 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  106. ^ "EasyJet Shop May 2008" (PDF). EasyJet. pp. 26–27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
  107. ^ "EasyJet Inflight Magazine". Ink Publishing. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  108. ^ "Rakuten | easyJet Air Time". www.easyjet.com. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  109. ^ "Flexi Fare". Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  110. ^ "easyJet Plus". Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  111. ^ "Flight Club". Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  112. ^ Garrahan, Matthew (15 December 2004). "First Choice seals EasyJet hotel deal". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  113. ^ "EasyJet launches EasyJetHotels with Hotelopia as its new exclusive accommodation partner" (Press release). EasyJet. 14 December 2004. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  114. ^ "The death of traditional, inflexible package holidays – EasyJetHolidays gives total flexibility of hotel and low-cost flight combinations" (Press release). EasyJet. 27 June 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  115. ^ "Financial Protection for package holidays booked with EasyJet". Travel Trust Association. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  116. ^ "Low Cost beats OHG to EasyJet Holidays". Financial Times. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  117. ^ "EasyJet relaunches package holiday business". BBC News. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.

Bibliography[]

  • Jones, Lois (2007). EasyJet: the Story of Britain's Biggest Low-Cost Airline. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-84513-247-7.

External links[]

Media related to EasyJet at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from ""