The Scotsman

Rivals’ woes help Easyjet soar during first quarter

- By EMMA NEWLANDS

Easyjet has seen income and passenger numbers jump in its first quarter, boosted by Ryanair’s pilot shortage and the demise of competitor Monarch.

The company reported a 14.4 per cent rise in reve‑ nue to £1.14 billion over the three months to 31 Decem‑ ber, driven by an 8 per cent jump in passenger num‑ bers to 18.8 million.

It was the first trading update under new boss Johan Lundgren, who said the airline “delivered a strong start to the finan‑ cial year”.

The airline said it will “continue to focus on cost” and expects to increase overall annual passenger numbers from 80 million to around 90 million this year, as well as grow its fleet by about 20 planes to total 300 aircraft by the spring.

Furthermor­e, it is also set to shortly roll out its full summer 2018 schedule for its newly establishe­d base at Berlin’s Tegel airport after snapping up part of Air Berlin’s operation.

The airline also announced management changes, with chief com‑ mercial officer Peter Duffy to step down.

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