EasyJet planes stay full

Jul 8 2008 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

THE impact of promotional offers meant no-frills operator easyJet kept its planes flying at near to capacity during June, new figures show.

The Luton-based firm said its load factor – a measure of how full its planes are – stood at 86.9%, marginally ahead of the same month last year.

EasyJet recently offered up to 20% off two million seats between June 16 and July 17, following a similar promotion covering May and June as competition in the sector intensified in the face of weaker consumer spending.

Issuing statistics for June, easyJet said it carried 4.1 million passengers last month, an increase of 19.5% on a year earlier.

The figure benefited from the acquisition of GB Airways from British Airways at the start of this year.

The company also said revenues per seat continued to improve.