EasyJet profits dive 28% in first annual fall for six years

Chief executive Carolyn McCall said it had been a year of “significant challenges” after a combination of terror attacks across Europe, Egypt and Tunisia, air traffic control strikes in France, political turmoil in Turkey, as well as intense competition in the sector.

The group posted a 27.9% tumble in pre-tax profits to £495 million for the year to September 30, after the sharply weaker pound cost it £88 million and it suffered a blow of around £150 million from “unprecedented” events.

It is also braced for another £90 million impact from falling sterling over the financial year ahead, with £70 million of that coming in the first half alone.

But this will be partly offset by lower fuel costs, which it expects to fall by between £245 million and £275 million in its current financial year.

Ms McCall said the group had delivered a “resilient performance”, with a record 73.1 million passengers carried, although revenues still fell 0.4% to £4.67 billion as it cut fares.

EasyJet was forced to slash prices in the face of competition from the likes of rival Ryanair and Ms McCall pledged to keep cutting fares over the coming year.

The firm revealed plans for a group-wide review to make easyJet a “simpler, more efficient” company and to deliver “meaningful” savings.

More details are set to come over the year ahead, but the group assured the review was not about job cuts, with the firm taking on another 900 staff ahead of expansion from 250 aircraft to more than 300.

Ms McCall said the review was a “redesign around using technology and artificial intelligence”.

Ms McCall said easyJet’s headquarters would remain in Luton.

The firm has bases across 11 UK airports, including Belfast International, and more than 830 routes across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

It plans to increase its capacity by 9% in the coming year, with “double digit” growth in London and other key bases, such as Manchester, Venice, Berlin and Amsterdam.