EasyJet’s early winter loss grew by 52 per cent to £93 million between October and December last year, an average loss of £3.69 per passenger. The Luton-based carrier reported a loss of £61 million, or £2.53 per passenger, during the same period in 2024.
The budget airline flew 25.2 million passengers in the three months, a seven per cent year-on-year increase, while the load factor – the proportion of seats filled – rose two percentage points to 90 per cent. EasyJet attributed the widening losses partly to costs associated with expansion in Italy’s two biggest cities, Milan and Rome.
Despite the losses, chief executive Kenton Jarvis expressed optimism, citing “continued demand for our flights and holidays” and the largest-ever January booking period. The airline’s holiday operation carried 20 per cent more passengers in the quarter, with full-year growth expected at 15 per cent.
“Our focus on customer experience and punctuality is driving strong results with a four percentage point rise in customer satisfaction and on-time performance year on year,” Jarvis said. He added that bookings for the summer season are building well, and the company is on track to meet its medium-term target of generating over £1 billion in profit before tax.
Looking ahead, EasyJet warned of rising costs from environmental regulations, wages and airport charges, partially offset by operational efficiencies and favourable fuel prices. The airline also published a “Great British Holiday Audit” revealing that the average flight length has increased by four per cent to almost 1,300 miles, and more passengers are using artificial intelligence to plan trips.
