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Para el American Quarter Horse, consulte Easy Jet . Para la difunta aerolínea de Guyana, consulte EZjet .

EasyJet plc
Easyjet orange.png
FundadoMarzo de 1995 ; Hace 26 años por Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou (March 1995)
SubsidiariasEasyJet Reino Unido
EasyJet Europa
EasyJet Suiza (40%)
EasyJet Vacaciones
Empresa matrizEasyGroup (33,73%) [1]
Negociado comoLSE :  EZJ
SedeLuton , Inglaterra, Reino Unido
Gente clave
IngresosDecrease £ 3.009 millones (2020) [1]
Ingresos de explotaciónDecrease£ (777) millones (2020) [1]
Lngresos netosDecrease£ (1.079) millones (2020) [1]
Empleados14.000 (2021) [2]
Sitio webwww .easyjet .com Edit this at Wikidata

EasyJet plc , con el estilo de easyJet , es un grupo de aerolíneas de bajo coste multinacional británica con sede en el aeropuerto de Londres Luton . [3] Opera servicios regulares nacionales e internacionales en más de 1.000 rutas en más de 30 países a través de sus aerolíneas afiliadas EasyJet UK , EasyJet Suiza y EasyJet Europe . [4] [5] EasyJet plc cotiza en la Bolsa de Valores de Londres y forma parte del índice FTSE 250 . EasyGroup Holdings Ltd (el vehículo de inversión del fundador de la aerolínea, empresario grecochipriotaStelios Haji-Ioannou y su familia) es el mayor accionista con una participación del 29,998% (a junio de 2020). [6] Emplea a unas 14.000 personas, con base en toda Europa pero principalmente en el Reino Unido. [2]

EasyJet ha experimentado una expansión desde su creación en 1995, habiendo crecido a través de una combinación de adquisiciones , [7] [8] y aperturas de bases impulsadas por la demanda de los consumidores de viajes aéreos de bajo costo. El grupo, junto con las empresas asociadas EasyJet UK , EasyJet Europe y EasyJet Switzerland , operan más de 300 aviones. Tiene 29 bases en Europa, la más grande es Gatwick . [9] En 2014, la aerolínea transportó a más de 65 millones de pasajeros, [10] lo que la convierte en la segunda aerolínea de bajo costo más grande de Europa por número de pasajeros transportados, detrás de Ryanair . [11]

EasyJet apareció en la serie de televisión Airline transmitida por ITV que siguió las operaciones de la aerolínea en London Luton y más tarde en otras bases. Su esquema de entrenamiento piloto fue el tema de otra serie de televisión de ITV, easyJet: Inside the Cockpit , que se estrenó en agosto de 2017. [12]

El 30 de marzo de 2020, EasyJet dejó en tierra toda su flota de aviones debido a la pandemia COVID-19 . [13] Posteriormente cerraron tres de sus bases. [14]

Historia [ editar ]

Orígenes y formación [ editar ]

EasyJet tiene sus raíces en la actividad empresarial del griego - chipriota Stelios Haji-Ioannou , que al parecer ganó un interés en el negocio de la aviación después de ser abordado como un potencial inversor en Virgin Atlantic franquiciado griega 's. Al reconocer un nicho vacante en el mercado, Stelios decidió examinar las perspectivas de lanzar su propia aerolínea, después de haber obtenido el compromiso de un préstamo de 5 millones de libras esterlinas (7,7 millones de dólares) de su padre. [15] Mientras estudiaba varios modelos comerciales en la industria, Stelios se interesó significativamente en el operador estadounidense Southwest Airlines., que había adoptado con éxito la práctica de la elasticidad de precios para competir con los autobuses tradicionalmente más baratos y atraer clientes que normalmente no hubieran considerado viajar en avión. Este principio se convirtió en la piedra angular de las operaciones de EasyJet. [15] [16]

En 1995, EasyJet fue fundada por Stelios, siendo la primera empresa de lo que luego se convertiría en el conglomerado easyGroup . En el momento del lanzamiento, empleó a sólo 70 personas; la compañía tiene su sede en el aeropuerto de Londres Luton , que tradicionalmente solo se utilizaba en vuelos chárter. [15] [17] Para animar a la empresa, el aeropuerto de Luton decidió dar a EasyJet el uso gratuito de un edificio de 15.000 pies cuadrados para su sede, al que denominó easyLand ; su estilo de gestión tipificaba unos gastos generales mínimos , como una implementación temprana del concepto de oficina sin papel . [15] EasyJet inicialmente operó un par de arrendados con tripulación Avión Boeing 737-200 , con capacidad para 130 pasajeros. Estos volaron en dos rutas: Luton a Glasgow y Edimburgo . Al principio, EasyJet operaba como una "aerolínea de papel", los aviones en sí se volaban y mantenían bajo un contrato de arrendamiento. [15]

La actividad promocional inicial se centró en los precios relativamente bajos de la aerolínea en comparación con los operadores establecidos. [17] En su primer año, easyJet transportó aproximadamente 40.000 pasajeros. [17]

En abril de 1996, se entregó el primer avión de propiedad total a EasyJet, lo que permitió la primera ruta internacional de la compañía, a Ámsterdam , que fue operada en competencia directa con las aerolíneas rivales British Airways (BA) y la aerolínea de bandera holandesa KLM . [15] [17] Los competidores respondieron al emergente EasyJet de diferentes maneras; mientras que BA se mostró en gran medida indiferente, KLM supuestamente decidió responder con una estrategia de precios predatorios que condujo a una investigación por parte de la Unión Europea sobre prácticas competitivas desleales. [15]A pesar de la presión comercial del emergente sector sin lujos, las aerolíneas tradicionales no han podido adoptar directamente prácticas similares a EasyJet debido a la vigorosa protección de los privilegios de los empleados existentes por parte de los sindicatos . [18]

Hasta octubre de 1997, todos los aviones de EasyJet eran operados por GB Airways y, posteriormente, por Monarch Airlines y Air Foyle , ya que EasyJet aún no había recibido su Certificado de operador aéreo . [19]

Flotación [ editar ]

El 5 de noviembre de 2000, EasyJet comenzó a cotizar en la Bolsa de Valores de Londres . [19] En octubre de 2004, FL Group , propietario de las aerolíneas Icelandair y Sterling , compró una participación del 8,4% en la aerolínea. [20] En el transcurso de 2005, FL aumentó periódicamente su participación en la empresa hasta el 16,9%, [20] alimentando la especulación de que organizaría una oferta pública de adquisición por la aerolínea británica. [21] Sin embargo, en abril de 2006, la amenaza de adquisición se desvaneció cuando FL vendió su participación por 325 millones de euros, obteniendo un beneficio de 140 millones de euros de su inversión. [22]

En marzo de 2013, EasyJet fue ascendido al FTSE 100 ; Durante el mismo mes, la compañía lanzó su ruta número 100 desde el aeropuerto de Gatwick, ofreciendo vuelos directamente desde Londres a Moscú . [23] En 2015, la compañía volaba rutas a más de 130 destinos en 31 países, operaba 26 bases en toda Europa y tenía un total de 10,000 empleados. [17]

Expansión y adquisiciones [ editar ]

A Go Fly Boeing 737-300 en 2004

En marzo de 1998, EasyJet compró una participación del 40% en la aerolínea chárter suiza TEA Basle por tres millones de francos suizos . La aerolínea pasó a llamarse EasyJet Switzerland y comenzó a ofrecer servicios de franquicia el 1 de abril de 1999, tras haber trasladado su sede al Aeropuerto Internacional de Ginebra . Ginebra fue la primera nueva base de EasyJet fuera del Reino Unido. [19] En 2002, se compró la aerolínea rival Go Fly por 374 millones de libras esterlinas; la aerolínea heredó tres nuevas bases de Go, en el aeropuerto de Bristol , el aeropuerto de East Midlands y el aeropuerto de Londres Stansted ; la adquisición de Go casi duplicó el número deAvión Boeing 737-300 de la flota EasyJet. [7] [24]

En 2002, la aerolínea abrió su base en el aeropuerto de Gatwick . Entre 2003 y 2007, abrió bases adicionales en Alemania, Francia, Italia y España, estableciendo una presencia en Europa continental. [19] En 2007, EasyJet afirmaba estar operando más vuelos por día que cualquier otra aerolínea europea. [25]

El 25 de octubre de 2007, EasyJet compró la totalidad del capital social de GB Airways al Grupo Bland . [26] Esta adquisición fue valorada en £ 103,5 millones y fue utilizada por la aerolínea para expandir sus operaciones en Gatwick, [27] y para establecer una base en el aeropuerto de Manchester . [8] [28] [29] [30] [31]

En junio de 2011, la aerolínea abrió su undécima base británica, en el aeropuerto Southend de Londres , que ofrece vuelos a Alicante , Ámsterdam, Barcelona , Belfast , Faro , Málaga , Jersey , Palma de Mallorca e Ibiza . [32]

En julio de 2017, EasyJet anunció que abriría una nueva sede europea en Austria para permitirle operar después del Brexit . [33]

El 28 de octubre de 2017, EasyJet anunció que arrendará 25 antiguos aviones A320 de Air Berlin para operar en la red de EasyJet Europe , bajo su AOC europeo. Varios de estos aviones tenían su base en el aeropuerto de Berlín-Tegel , antes de su cierre. Posteriormente, estos aviones se han trasladado al aeropuerto de Berlín-Brandenburgo . Anteriormente, EasyJet solo había operado desde el aeropuerto de Berlín-Schönefeld y el aeropuerto de Berlín-Tegel , donde EasyJet se había hecho cargo de algunos de los antiguos servicios de Air Berlin. [34]

El 30 de marzo de 2020, EasyJet suspendió todos los vuelos, dejó en tierra toda su flota y dio licencia a sus tripulaciones debido a las restricciones de viaje impuestas. [13] Esto se produjo después de que la compañía hubiera realizado 650 'vuelos de rescate', llevando a 45.000 personas de regreso a casa. [35] En abril de 2020, EasyJet obtuvo un préstamo de 600 millones de libras esterlinas del gobierno del Reino Unido sin condiciones ambientales. [36] En junio de 2020, EasyJet anunció su intención de reanudar los vuelos, volando la mitad de sus rutas en julio de 2020 y hasta el 75 por ciento en agosto de 2020, aunque con una frecuencia reducida. [37]

En abril de 2020, EasyJet se vio envuelto en una disputa con su propietario y mayor accionista, Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Haji-Ioannou criticó la decisión de la aerolínea de no buscar cancelar el pedido pendiente de Airbus, alegando que crearía un capital adicional de £ 4.5 mil millones que la aerolínea no podría permitirse gastar. Amenazó con convocar una junta general para destituir a un director cada tres semanas a menos que se tomaran medidas posteriores. El 22 de mayo se celebró una junta general, en la que los accionistas finalmente votaron más del 99% a favor del consejo de EasyJet y mantuvieron el contrato de Airbus. [38]

El 19 de mayo de 2020, la compañía reveló que había sido objeto de un ciberataque que resultó en la divulgación de la información personal de 9 millones de clientes. [39]

El 17 de agosto de 2020, EasyJet confirmó en un comunicado que cerrarían tres bases en el Reino Unido. Stansted , Southend y Newcastle desde finales de agosto debido a los bajos niveles de demanda de viajes aéreos afectados por la pandemia de COVID-19 . [14]

Asuntos corporativos [ editar ]

Estrategia empresarial [ editar ]

EasyJet, al igual que Ryanair , utiliza un modelo comercial iniciado por Southwest Airlines . Ambas aerolíneas han adaptado este modelo para el mercado europeo a través de nuevas medidas de reducción de costos, como no vender vuelos de conexión o proporcionar refrigerios gratuitos a bordo. Los puntos clave de este modelo de negocio son la alta utilización de aviones, tiempos de respuesta rápidos, cobrar por extras (como embarque prioritario, equipaje de bodega y comida) y mantener bajos los costos operativos. [40] Una de las principales diferencias que tienen EasyJet y Ryanair de Southwest es que ambos vuelan una flota joven de aviones. Southwest tiene una edad promedio de flota de 11,9 años [41], mientras que la edad promedio de las flotas de Ryanair y EasyJet es de poco más de seis años cada una. [42]

Inicialmente, la estrategia de empleo de EasyJet era mantener el control con una mínima participación sindical. Durante la década de 2000, la aerolínea adoptó un enfoque diferente y decidió hacer adaptaciones para los sindicatos. [25]

Originalmente, al igual que Southwest, EasyJet no asignaba asientos: los pasajeros tomaban cualquier asiento disponible, con la opción de pagar por "Speedy Boarding", lo que les permitía ser los primeros en subir al avión. Desde 2012, a todos los pasajeros se les asignan asientos numerados antes de que comience el embarque, ya que se descubrió que esto no ralentiza los tiempos de embarque y podría generar más ingresos que Speedy Boarding. Los pasajeros pueden pagar una tarifa adicional por ciertos asientos, como las primeras filas y los asientos superiores (que tienen espacio adicional para las piernas). [43]

Desempeño financiero [ editar ]

Desde el inicio de la pandemia de COVID-19 hasta agosto de 2020, EasyJet recaudó más de £ 2.4 mil millones en nuevas finanzas. De la suma, 600 millones de libras esterlinas provinieron de la línea de financiación corporativa de Covid proporcionada por el gobierno del Reino Unido y se recaudaron más de 400 millones de libras esterlinas mediante la colocación de acciones. [44] En noviembre de 2020, EasyJet anunció que, debido a la pandemia y los bloqueos en muchos países, reduciría su horario de vuelo reducido a no más del 20 por ciento de su capacidad. [45] También anunció su primera pérdida anual durante los 25 años de historia de la empresa. [46]

Rendimiento financiero de EasyJet
Año terminadoPasajeros volados [nb 1]Factor de cargaVolumen de negocios (millones de libras esterlinas)Beneficio / pérdida antes de impuestos (millones de libras esterlinas)Ganancia / pérdida neta (millones de libras esterlinas)EPS básico (p)
30 September 202048,100,00087.2%3,009(1,273)(1,079)(264.9)
30 September 201996,100,00091.5%6,38543034988.6
30 September 201888,454,61192.9%5,898578466118.3
30 September 201780,249,67292.6%5,04740832582.5
30 September 201673,137,82691.6%4,669495427108.4
30 September 201568,629,82591.5%4,686686548139.1
30 September 201464,769,06590.6%4,527581450114.5
30 September 201360,757,80989.3%4,258478398101.3
30 September 201258,399,84088.7%3,85431725562.5
30 September 201154,509,27187.3%3,45224822552.5
30 September 201048,754,36687.0%2,973.1154.0121.328.4
30 September 200945,164,27985.5%2,666.854.771.216.9
30 September 200843,659,47884.1%2,362.8110.283.219.8
30 September 200737,230,07983.7%1,797.2201.9152.336.62
30 September 200632,953,28784.8%1,619.7129.294.123.18
30 September 200529,557,64085.2%1,314.467.942.610.68
30 September 200424,343,64984.5%1,091.062.241.110.34
30 September 200320,332,97384.1%931.851.532.48.24
30 September 200211,350,35084.8%551.871.649.014.61
30 September 20017,115,14783.03%356.940.137.915.2
30 September 20005,600,000263.722.122.111.9

Head office[edit]

Hangar 89 at London Luton Airport, EasyJet's head office.

EasyJet's head office is Hangar 89 (H89), a building located on the grounds of London Luton Airport in Luton, Bedfordshire; the hangar is located 150 metres (490 ft) from EasyLand, the previous headquarters of the airline. Hangar 89, built in 1974, has 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of office space and can house three aircraft the size of an Airbus A319 at one time. When EasyJet received H89, it had a 1970s-style office setup. The airline modernised the building and painted it orange.[47]

Marketing[edit]

EasyJet's early marketing slogan was "making flying as affordable as a pair of jeans". It urged travellers to cut out the travel agent. Its original advertising consisted of little more than the airline's telephone booking number painted in bright orange on the side of its aircraft.[19] The specific color that EasyJet uses closely resembles that of the telecommunications corporation Orange and was a subject of dispute between the two companies in 2004 when easyGroup launched a mobile phone subsidiary, easyMobile.[48][49]

The Airline TV series created by LWT and filmed between 1999 and 2007 made EasyJet a household name in the United Kingdom. The series, while not always portraying the airline in a positive light, did much to promote it during this time.[50] The airline has used a number of slogans since its establishment, including "The Web's Favourite Airline", "Come on, let's fly" and "To Fly, To Save" (a parody of British Airways' slogan "To Fly, To Serve"). This was then followed by "[....] by easyJet", with "Europe by easyJet" and "business by easyJet" being the most widely used. It currently uses the slogan "This is Generation easyJet".[51]

Environment[edit]

In June 2007, EasyJet announced plans for the construction of its own airliner, dubbed EcoJet. It was claimed to possess improved fuel efficiency over contemporary airliners. To achieve this, the EcoJet was described as using propfan engines, as well as being constructed with extensive use of carbon fibre composite material. At the time of the announcement, it was stated that the first flight was scheduled to occur sometime during 2015.[52][53] Speaking at the time, EasyJet chief executive Andy Harrison commented that: "We have not developed a new concept. We have taken ideas from Boeing, Airbus and the engine manufacturers and put them together." Harrison claimed that the EcoJet, combined with other improvements in the industry, would enable a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within eight years.[54] However, there has been few announcements on the project since then.[55]

In February 2011, the airline painted eight of its aircraft with a lightweight, thin "revolutionary nano technology coating" polymer. It works by reducing the build-up of debris and reduces drag across the surface of the aircraft, thus reducing the fuel bill. It was estimated the airline could save 1–2% annually, equating to a £14 million reduction in fuel costs. The coating has already been used on US military aircraft and if successful EasyJet would apply the paint to its whole fleet.[56] In late 2015, EasyJet started making use of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data for the purpose of improving efficiency, cutting costs, and enhancing the customer experience.[57]

On 27 September 2017, EasyJet announced its partnership with an American start-up company Wright Electric with the purpose of developing and introducing a short-haul 120-seat all-electric airline.[55] The propulsion system is said to comprise a series of eight electrically driven ducted fans that are buried in the wings, which are powered by numerous battery packs distributed underneath the cabin floor; it is claimed to possess a range of roughly 335 miles, suitable for about one-fifth of EasyJet's current city routes, and facilitate zero-emission flights, as well as being 50% quieter and 10% less expensive to operate than conventional jet airliners. At the time, EasyJet stated that it intended to introduce the electric aircraft into revenue service within 10 years.[55] In October 2018, EasyJet stated that progress was being made on its electric ambitions, and that the partnerships planned to test a nine-seater electric plane as early as 2019.[58][59]

Since November 2019, easyJet has offset the carbon emissions from all of its flights using carbon offsetting projects that meet either the Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) accreditation. As a result, it is the first major airline in the world to operate net-carbon zero flights across its entire network.[60][61] The airline describes this as an "interim" measure whilst the next generation of aircraft propulsion is developed. Consequently, easyJet announced a partnership with Airbus on a joint research project into zero-emission hydrogen aircraft.[62][63]

Criticism[edit]

EasyJet has been criticised in Germany for not observing European Union law on compensation (and assistance to passengers) in cases of denied boarding, delays or cancellations (Regulation 261/2004). When flights are cancelled, passengers are supposed to be reimbursed within one week. In 2006, the airline did not always refund tickets in a timely fashion. Passengers occasionally had to wait longer for reimbursement of their expenses.[64][65]

EasyJet has campaigned for the UK to replace air passenger duty (APD) with a new tax that would vary depending on distance travelled and aircraft type.[66]

In July 2008, the United Kingdom Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) criticised a press campaign by the airline, over a misleading environmental claim that its aircraft released 22% fewer emissions than rival airlines. The figures used were not based on emissions produced by an EasyJet aircraft or emissions produced by the airline overall as the advertisement implied, and ASA declared that the airline had broken advertising rules. The judgement that followed reprimanded the airline in April 2007 after it made comments that its aircraft created 30% less pollution per passenger than some of its rivals.[67]

In July 2011, the airline tried to refuse carriage of a boy with muscular dystrophy because he had an electric wheelchair.[68] In separate incidents in 2012, paralympians received similar treatment,[69] and a French court found the airline guilty of three counts of disability discrimination.[70] In January 2017, the company was fined €60,000 by another French court because it had refused to allow a disabled passenger to board in 2010; the company cited security concerns and internal regulations, but said it would not appeal against the ruling.[71]

In September 2013, a passenger who sent a tweet complaining about the airline after his flight was delayed said he was initially told he would not be allowed to board the aircraft because of the posting.[72]

On 27 August 2020, the airline was sued by a woman over discriminatory concerns. The woman had been asked to switch seats twice in a row, in order to accommodate two ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.[73]

European AOC[edit]

An EasyJet Europe Airbus A319 arrives at Bristol Airport in May 2019. This aircraft is registered in Austria as OE-LQQ.
Main article: EasyJet Europe

Following the UK's referendum vote to leave the European Union, EasyJet announced plan to establish an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in another EU member state. This will secure the flying rights of the 30% of EasyJet's network that remains wholly within and between EU states, excluding the UK. EasyJet expects a one-off cost of around £10 million over two years with up to £5 million incurred in the 2017 financial year. The primary driver of the cost is the re-registering of aircraft in an EU AOC jurisdiction.[74] In July 2017, EasyJet announced that it has applied for, and was subsequently granted by the Ministry of Transport, an Austrian Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and operating permit, thereby establishing EasyJet Europe. The new airline is headquartered in Vienna, and will allow EasyJet to continue operating flights across and within European countries after the UK leaves the EU. The first aircraft, an Airbus A320, was re-registered as OE-IVA.[75]

EasyJet announced that the transition would result in no job losses in the UK, as the staff to be employed by EasyJet Europe are already based in the EU27. EasyJet UK staff would continue to be based in Luton. The group will thus comprise three airlines, EasyJet UK, EasyJet Europe, and EasyJet Switzerland, all of which are owned by EasyJet plc, which is itself EU owned and controlled, listed on the London Stock Exchange, and based in the UK.[76] In May 2018, EasyJet confirmed that it was very close to achieving the required majority EU27 share ownership, and that the UK government will nevertheless continue to consider it as a UK airline.[77]

Destinations[edit]

Main article: List of EasyJet destinations
Top airports by destinations in 2020[78]
AirportIATADestinations
London–GatwickLGW118
Berlin–BrandenburgBER98
GenevaGVA75
BristolBRS74
London–LutonLTN70
ManchesterMAN69
Basel/MulhouseBSL66
Milan–MalpensaMXP63
LyonLYS48
VeniceVCE45
AmsterdamAMS43
Paris–Charles de GaulleCDG42
NiceNCE42
EdinburghEDI42
NaplesNAP39
BelfastBFS37

EasyJet serves 136 destinations (as of February 2019).[79][80]

Codeshare agreements[edit]

In 2013, EasyJet entered a commercial agreement with Transaero Airlines to set up a codeshare agreement,[81][82] whereby Transaero acquired the right to sell a certain number of seats on EasyJet's Moscow (Domodedovo) – London (Gatwick) route. This was the first codeshare agreement for EasyJet; it was terminated when Transaero Airlines ceased to operate in October 2015.[83] Citing diminishing demand on the route, EasyJet ceased all flights to Moscow in March 2016.[84]

EasyJet has a reward miles sharing agreement with Emirates.[85]

Fleet[edit]

Current group fleet[edit]

An EasyJet Airbus A319-100
An EasyJet Airbus A320-200
An EasyJet Airbus A320neo
An EasyJet Airbus A321neo

The EasyJet plc total fleet comprises entirely Airbus aircraft. As of July 2020, the group operates the following aircraft:[86][87]

EasyJet fleet
AircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotes
Airbus A319-10064—156Operated by EasyJet UK
Older aircraft are to be retired and replaced by A320neos
32Operated by EasyJet Europe
Older aircraft are to be retired
6Operated by EasyJet Switzerland
Older aircraft are to be retired
Airbus A320-20056—180Operated by EasyJet UK
83186Operated by EasyJet Europe
23Operated by EasyJet Switzerland
Airbus A320neo3792186Operated by EasyJet UK

Deliveries deferred until after 2021[88]

Airbus A321neo1016235Operated by EasyJet UK
Deliveries began in July 2018[89]
In the Airbus Cabin Flex (ACF) configuration[90]
4Operated by EasyJet Europe.
Total315108

All flights operating within the European Union were to be operated, by July 2019, by EasyJet Europe, which operates 45 Airbus A319 and 91 Airbus A320 aircraft.[91]Sister company EasyJet Switzerland operates 6 Airbus A319 and 21 Airbus A320 aircraft.[92]

Fleet strategy and aircraft orders[edit]

In common with other low-cost carriers, EasyJet has a strategy of operating just one aircraft type. Initially it used Boeing 737 aircraft exclusively, but in October 2002 it ordered 120 Airbus A319 aircraft, plus 120 options.[19][93] Since then, all orders have been from the Airbus A320 family, and the Boeings have been phased out. With the acquisition of GB Airways in 2007, easyJet inherited nine Airbus A320 and six Airbus A321 aircraft. This gave the airline some time to evaluate the feasibility of operating these larger aircraft. Based on this evaluation, EasyJet exchanged 25 A319 orders for A320s in July 2008 and later removed the A321 aircraft from the fleet.[8][28][30][31]

On 18 June 2013, the airline announced an intention to acquire – subject to shareholder approval – 35 Airbus A320 aircraft, for delivery between 2015 and 2017, and 100 Airbus A320neo aircraft for delivery between 2017 and 2022.[94] As part of the agreement, the airline will have purchase rights on a further 100 A320neo aircraft.[94] The current generation A320s and fifty of the A320neos will replace current A319 aircraft.[94]

On 15 May 2017, EasyJet announced the conversion of 30 A320neo orders into A321neo aircraft to be used on busier routes.[90] The then-CEO of EasyJet, Carolyn McCall, stated of the change: "bigger planes would help EasyJet increase capacity in slot-constrained airports at peak times, such as Geneva, Amsterdam and London Gatwick". She added that the A321neos would help to cut costs by 9 percent.[95] The company took delivery of the first A321neo on 18 July 2018 at the Farnborough International Airshow.[96]

On 20 November 2018 EasyJet ordered an additional 17 A320neo, taking their total neo order, including the A321neo, to 147.[97]

On 19 November 2019 EasyJet ordered an additional 12 A320neo, taking the total neo orders, including the A321neo, to 159.[98]

A former EasyJet Boeing 737-200 seen at Zurich Airport in January 1997.

Historical fleet[edit]

EasyJet has previously operated the following aircraft:[99]

EasyJet historical fleet
AircraftIntroducedRetiredNotes
Airbus A321-20020082010Inherited from GB Airways
Boeing 737-20019951997Both aircraft (G-BECG/G-BECH) were transferred to Virgin Express in 1997 and scrapped by 2005.
Boeing 737-30019952006Replaced by Airbus A319-100s
Boeing 737-70020002011Replaced by Airbus A320-200s
A Boeing 757-200, briefly leased for the busy summer of 2010.

Services[edit]

Booking[edit]

A Boeing 737-33V in telephone number livery.

Initially, booking was by telephone only; as a means of promoting this, all of the airline's aircraft were painted with the booking telephone number. There is no incentive for travel agents to book flights on the airline because it does not pay commissions, which is an industry-standard practice for low-cost carriers.[19]

In December 1997, one of EasyJet's design and advertising agencies suggested to Stelios Haji-Ioannou that he should consider trialling a website for direct bookings. Haji-Ioannou's reply was: "The Internet is for nerds, it will never make money for my business!" Other executives of the airline saw the potential and approved a website trial involving putting a different telephone reservations number on the website to track success. Once Haji-Ioannou saw the results, he changed his mind and an e-commerce website capable of offering real-time online booking went live in April 1998; this was the first such website for a low-cost carrier in Europe.[19][100][101]

In December 2001, the airline switched from a third-party reservation system to an in-house system.[102] Internet bookings were priced cheaper than booking by telephone to reflect the reduced call centre costs; as a further means of encouraging use of the website, aircraft were repainted with the web address. Within a year, over 50% of bookings were made using the website; by April 2004, the figure had reportedly jumped to 98%.[19]

Cabin and onboard services[edit]

The cabin of an EasyJet A319, pictured in 2010

EasyJet's aircraft cabins are configured in a single class, high density layout.[103]

The airline's main fleet, comprising Airbus A319, A320/A320neo and A321neo aircraft, carry up to 156, 180/186 and 235 passengers respectively, depending on layout. A typical Airbus A319 carries approximately 140 passengers in a single class configuration, but as the airline does not serve meals on its shorter flights, it opted for smaller galleys and had a lavatory installed in unused space at the rear of the aircraft. The space saved by having smaller galleys allowed for the installation of 156 seats. Due to this seating arrangement, to satisfy safety requirements the airline's Airbus A319 aircraft have two pairs of overwing exits, instead of the standard one-pair configuration found on most Airbus A319 aircraft.[87][104][105]

EasyJet does not provide complimentary meals or drinks on its flights (except for some occasional charter flights operated by the airline). Passengers may purchase items on board from the "EasyJet Bistro" buy on board programme.[106] Onboard sales are an important part of the airline's ancillary revenue; gifts such as fragrances, cosmetics, gadgets and EasyJet-branded items are sold on board, as well as tickets for airport transfer services or train tickets. The airline's monthly inflight magazine is called The Traveller.[107]

The airline had previously provided in-flight entertainment (IFE) in some aircraft, such as the ex-GB Airways fleet, using drop-down screens on some Airbus aircraft; by 2018, all use of IFE had been discontinued. The airline offers headphones for purchase, along with a travel pillow and eyeshades, subject to stock. During 2017, 'Air Time' was introduced on some EasyJet Switzerland flights, which enables passengers to connect to watch a selection of films and read books through an on-board WiFi network; this service is provided by Rakuten.[108]

Frequent flyer, business travel and loyalty products[edit]

Three distinct loyalty products are offered, tailored towards business and frequent flyers. These are Flexi Fare, EasyJet Plus and a new frequent traveller loyalty programme called Flight Club. Flexi Fare[109] is a type of ticket that is usually more expensive than the regular fare and comparable to a business ticket with other airlines. This ticket offers additional flexibility, including unlimited free date changes within a set period, free route changes, complimentary checked baggage (1x20kg), an increased carry-on baggage allowance, and a £7.50 on board refreshment voucher. EasyJet Plus is an annual subscription product targeted at frequent flyers,[110] both business and leisure. This service offers free allocated seating (including extra legroom), priority check-in, fast track security, speedy boarding and extra cabin baggage. The airline's loyalty programme is called Flight Club.[111]

EasyJet Hotels and EasyJet Holidays[edit]

On 14 December 2004, EasyJet and Hotelopia, a subsidiary of First Choice Holidays, launched the co-branded EasyJetHotels accommodation booking service. EasyJetHotels offers accommodation products throughout the airline's network. Customers booking flights through the airline's website are provided with quotes for a number of hotels at their destination. Alternatively, customers can book accommodation separately at the EasyJetHotels website.[112][113]

On 28 June 2007, the airline expanded its relationship with Hotelopia by launching EasyJetHolidays, which offers Travel Trust Association protected package holidays made up of EasyJet flights and Hotelopia accommodation products.[114][115]

On 6 November 2010, the airline started a venture with Low Cost Travel Group, to offer flights dynamically packaged with Low Cost Travel Group's accommodation through the EasyJet Holidays website. As of March 2011, EasyJet Holidays has provided holidays and city breaks to all of the airline's routes.[116]

A mid November 2019 report indicated that the company planned to relaunch the package holiday business, after the bankruptcy of former competitor Thomas Cook.[117]

"The total European package holidays market is worth around £61bn per year ... we know customers want holidays with various durations and not the traditional seven and 14 nights. The UK alone is a £13bn market and has grown by 6% annually," according to a company spokesperson.

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Passengers = Earned seats flown, including "no-shows" (empty paid seats), promotional seats and those provided to staff for business travel, for both EasyJet UK and EasyJet Switzerland

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Bibliography[edit]

  • Jones, Lois (2007). EasyJet: the Story of Britain's Biggest Low-Cost Airline. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-84513-247-7.

External links[edit]

Media related to EasyJet at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website