CEO Johan Lundgren says easyJet will cope with the summer travel demand, but external factors could play a role.
By KURT HOFMANN
As the summer high season approaches, airlines are preparing for a surge in travel demand. EasyJet is no exception, with the LCC scheduled to operate some 2.27 million weekly seats across its network by late July, up by 14% on the same period last year. CEO Johan Lundgren tells Routes Daily that the UK-based airline is prepared for the passenger rush—and has enough aircraft to meet demand—but admits that outside influences could be a factor this summer.
How well is easyJet prepared for the upcoming summer high season?
We have thoroughly examined every aspect of our organization, including the availability of cabin crew and pilots, our suppliers, the backup plans and the airports. From our perspective, we can say that everyone is much better prepared to have everything in place. Our recruitment for summer flight attendants is finished, but if something happens to the ecosystem, it will have an impact. Aviation is the weakest link in the chain, one way or the other. We spend a lot of time on ourselves, but we will also continue to engage with other suppliers.
Strikes remain an issue for the European aviation industry. Do you have peace with your union?
If there is a strike, we have to plan for it, and we are doing our best to mitigate the impact. However, it can be very difficult because sometimes we get only 24 hours’ notice. EasyJet is a highly unionized company with more than 20 unions, so we have ongoing discussions with a couple of them at the same time. The cost-of-living crisis is real for many people, and unions are reflecting that in those conversations. We want to make sure that people have a great life while being competitive in what we do.
Do you have enough aircraft available this summer?
We expect to take delivery of seven Airbus A320neo family aircraft this year. Despite OEMs battling supply chain issues, I do not expect any major impact for this summer. As we know how many aircraft we want to operate this summer, any aircraft delivery delays could see one or two existing aircraft leases extended to compensate, but that would only be for a three-to-four-month period. On an Airbus A320, there are around 4,000 suppliers involved in the production process, and there are many potential points of failure in the supply chain. We are currently in discussions with Airbus to assess the availability of aircraft for summer 2024. If necessary, there would be aircraft available to lease, but that is not our preferred option as we have ordered new aircraft. We anticipate no wet leases, as this is typically the last resort for airlines. While easyJet had significant wet leases last year, we do not expect to have any this summer.
EASYJET
Does easyJet have plans to transfer aircraft registrations to Malta like Ryanair Group or Wizz Air?
We have not regretted re-registering approximately 130 Airbus narrowbodies in Austria to prevent any impact on traffic rights after the Brexit vote. In 2017, easyJet UK announced that it had applied for an air operator's certificate (AOC) in Austria, known as easyJet Europe, to ensure we could operate flights within the EU after the UK's vote to leave the bloc. We have no intention of transferring the aircraft again by following the example of Eurowings Europe, Ryanair Group and Wizz Air to Malta. Obviously, the Austrian AOC was necessary to ensure that we have the flying rights. With over a hundred aircraft registered in Austria, we have the flexibility within our system due to our size. However, we are pleased to be based in Austria.
