LONDON (Reuters) – British airline easyJet said bookings for the coming months were progressing well, as travel demand holds up for this winter and next summer despite the squeeze on consumer spending due to economic headwinds.
EasyJet said ticket sales for Britain’s October school holiday and the Christmas week exceeded pre-pandemic levels and it expected to fly 20 million seats in the three months to the end of December, up 30% compared to last year.
For its last summer quarter, when it tends to make most of its profit, easyJet said on Thursday it would post adjusted earnings excluding certain costs of up to 685 million pounds, but that was not enough to offset the cancelled flights and COVID-19 restrictions which had dragged earlier in the year.
For the 12 months to the end of September, easyJet forecast it would post a headline annual loss before tax of between 170 million pounds and 190 million pounds ($188- $211 million), in line with a consensus forecast for a loss of about 180 million pounds.
EasyJet also said that it was already seeing demand for next summer, giving it confidence despite the rising cost of living.
“We face the uncertain macro-economic environment with many strengths,” chief executive Johan Lundgren said.
($1 = 0.9020 pounds)
(Reporting by Sarah Young, Editing by Paul Sandle)
