24 June 2003
Self-selection process speeds easyJet airport decision
easyJet said Tuesday it had received responses to its request for tenders from 80 airports in 20 European countries.
Ten days ago, the airline began advertising in national newspapers across Europe for airports prepared to offer ‘easy-to-use facilities with good access to a large, attractive population’. It insisted it was only interested in those that could handle six easyJet aircraft simultaneously while also being able to ensure rapid turnarounds.
In a statement today Ray Webster, easyJet chief executive, said: ‘This has been a strong response and clearly demonstrates the scale of the growth opportunities for easyJet in Europe. By asking only those airports that match our strict criteria to tender, we have succeeded in outsourcing the selection process to the airports themselves and in doing so we have completed two years’ work in ten days.
‘The equation is simple and everybody wins: lower airport charges mean lower airline fares and more airport passengers. I am delighted that many submissions have come from airports which we already serve, indicating a desire to attract even more easyJet services. There is a lot more to do, but the airport industry is clearly beginning to adopt the low-cost airline model.’
easyJet did not say when a decision on the airports would be made.