Easyjet to resume flights on 75 per cent of routes in August
Easyjet has this afternoon announced that it will resume flying to 75 per cent of its network in August, though it will operate fewer daily services than in a normal summer season.
The low-cost carrier is due to begin flying to some locations from 15 June as it seeks to begin its comeback from the coronavirus pandemic.
From July, it will then run services on 50 per cent of 1022 routes, which will then be increased to 75 per cent in August.
Due to the lower number of daily flights, however, capacity between July and September will be roughly 30 per cent of a usual summer.
Robert Carey, chief commercial and planning officer at Easyjet said: “We are delighted to announce that we will be flying the majority of our route network across Europe, meaning customers can still get to their chosen destination for their summer holidays this year.
The decision to ramp up services comes despite the fact that the government is preparing to implement a 14-day quarantine period on all those entering the UK from 8 June.
The measures have met with dismay from airlines and travel firms, which have warned that the plans risks severely damaging their chances of recovery.
Easyjet, which has grounded its entire fleet of 337 planes due to the virus, is set to fall out of London’s premier FTSE 100 index due to the impact of the disease.
The budget carrier has laid out plans to cut 4,500 staff and reduce the size of its fleet to see it through the crisis.
It has also spent much of the last three months locked in a dispute with founder and largest shareholder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who had tried to oust members of Easyjet’s board due to a dispute over a contract with Airbus.
However, at an extraordinary general meeting in May, Haji-Ioannou’s proposals were voted down by shareholders.