EasyJet, on the back of record profits for 2006 - up 56% from last year ” has taken up its options for 52 Airbus A319s. The new aircraft will be delivered between 2008 and 2010. The contract with the planemaker allows for a further 75 aircraft increase.
The airline”s profits have risen from ”83m ($157.5m) in 2005 to ”129m ($245m) this year. It currently has 104 Airbus aircraft on firm order of which 88 have been delivered . EasyJet also operates 45 Boeing 737 aircraft, a mixture of ”classic” and ”new generation” equipment.
easyJet chief executive Andy Harrison was keen to stress the environmental benefits of the new order: ”This supports both our growth and our environmental credentials. The combination of our modern fleet, with an average age of 2.2 years, and high utilisation means that we emit nearly 30% fewer emissions per passenger kilometre than traditional airlines flying similar routes”, he claimed.
”We welcome the Stern Review, which says that aviation accounts for just 1.6% of greenhouse gas emissions, and we have long campaigned to bring aviation into the European Emissions Trading System as soon as possible.”