Low-cost carrier easyJet on Thursday said it is on track to achieve its full-year targets despite posting a £394 million loss for the six months ending on 31 March.
The UK-based company said investments in capacity during the year’s first half drove increases in crew productivity and aircraft utilisation but led to a 6 per cent decline in revenue per available seat kilometres (ASKs) compared to the previous year. Despite the loss, the carrier said its overall H1 result marked a £50 million improvement on last year.
Passenger revenue for the period increased 5 per cent year-on-year to £2.2 billion, while overall group revenues, which include airline ancillaries and easyJet Holidays, saw an 8 per cent increase year-on-year to £3.5 billion.
EasyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis said the airline maintains a positive outlook for the remainder of the year, with 77 per cent of bookings already secured for H2.
“We remain focused on delivering another record summer this year, expecting to drive strong earnings growth as we continue to progress towards our target of sustainably generating over £1 billion of annual profit before tax,” he said.
In response to last year's “deteriorating” ATC performance, the carrier said it has implemented measures to “enhance resilience” across its network, with on-time performance increasing by two percentage points year-on-year in April.
The airline on Thursday also announced plans to open a three-aircraft base at Newcastle Airport in March 2026. The new base – its 11th in the UK – will enable the carrier to expand its network and help “support vital UK connectivity outside of London”.
This comes after it recently opened three additional bases in Southend, Milan Linate and Rome Fiumicino, each with three A320neo aircraft that will form part of its fleet for the upcoming summer season.
In January, the carrier also launched a corporate iteration of its Plus membership programme, enabling companies to buy, allocate and manage multiple memberships on behalf of employees.