EasyJet: plane ticket more expensive due to excessive Schiphol rates | Financial

“This is monopolistic behavior,” said a spokesman. EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said in an explanation of the quarterly figures that airports such as Schiphol should understand that airlines are still recovering from the corona crisis. EasyJet says it has to pass on the extra costs to the consumer.

According to the British price fighter, Schiphol is one of the most expensive airports. Yet that is no reason for easyJet to use the airport less because the Netherlands is an important market for the company. Schiphol will announce the new rates at the end of October.

EasyJet, one of the largest users of Schiphol Airport, has noticed that the recovery from the crisis has started. The company expects to fly at almost 70 percent of capacity in the period up to and including December, compared to the period before corona. This was 58 percent in the past quarter. The company closed the past financial year with a significant loss.

Demand for holidays to popular winter sun destinations such as Egypt, Turkey and the Canary Islands shows that many people are excited to travel again, according to easyJet. In terms of business travel, easyJet also notices that the number of bookings is increasing again. For that reason, the company increased its capacity expectations for the first quarter of the new fiscal year by 100,000 seats. EasyJet is also counting on further recovery for the months thereafter.

These prospects for the current financial year, in which a cautious profit is also expected, signify a reversal compared to the previous financial year. The uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus and travel bans are expected to saddle easyJet with losses of between £1.135 billion (€1.3 billion) and £1.175 billion in the twelve months to October.

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