Well! Even "Professional Pilots" happen to fly as passengers from time to time with other carriers.

https://www.travelmole.com/news_feat...ews_id=2043026

Not sure what other thoughts are, but I don't know what planet EZY think they are on frankly. And before anyone accuses me of any STN vs LTN slanging match as is usually the case, let me at least try to make my point clear...

We have an airline that is cutting it's fleet from 335-ish to a little over 300 for Summer 2021. This fully complies with an airline that time and time again has made it's strategy abundently clear of being very returns focussed, and shown it's willingness to adjust the fleet to where the best returns can be achieved. In fact, Lundgren's very words when revealing the 30% cut in staff was that EasyJet would "optimise the network and our bases". Make no mistake, it's proven to be a fairly solid strategy and kept them largely away from cut throat price wars with other LCCs, instead keeping more the FSCs at bay at major hubs where they're dominant.

Yet on the contrary, in no doubt the most volatile and uncertain outlook we've ever seen in aviation, we have nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction by EasyJet who with a 12-month lag are going totally against their own strengths in a poor attempt to stand-up to a far more agressive carrier, in far better position to win any race to the bottom. Truthfully, Wizz have a stronger cost-base, and has the capacity to act aggresively in line with it's volumes and load factor drive to undercut rivals. There's a very valid reason why Ryanair see Wizz as their biggest competition and increasingly look to follow their lead.

I see no doubt in who will win this one out between EasyJet and Wizz, and wouldn't even be totally surpised to see Ryanair try and get a peice of the action in some form. There's also little doubting that with the level of EasyJet's fleet reduction, there will be cuts made from potentially higher yielding parts of the existing network in order to facilitate this new capacity.

Easyjet for a few years have been getting a bit of a reputation of shying away from fight. More than once, Ryanair have put their tanks on Easyjet's lawn and within 12 months, Easyjet then decide to significantly reduce flying to the relevant airport
If Easyjet are perceived by other airlines as always relcutant for a fight, then the obvious strategy for Ryanair would be to open routes like Luton-Amsterdam or Luton-Geneva, sell tickets below cost and wait for Easyjet to pull out. As a major player in the European airline market, Easyjet have to find a way to signal in a way that their rivals believe will be backed up by action, that they will not easily surrender their core markets to ensure they are not always targetted by rivals.
Luton is one of Easyjet's major bases - Easyjet need to signal to Wizz that they will defend their position at Luton robustly so as to stop Wizz from trying to open LTN-AMS or LTN-GVA next year

EZY make a significant loss in Germany - maybe that’s where they will take out capacity ?

With Easyjet announcing lots of new services next year from Luton I have to wonder if Easyjet is paying Luton Airport fees or is the Council paying Easyjet to keep their fleet at Luton?

Davidjohnson,
I'd say if anything easyJet has become must more assertive in defending its patch. Belfast is an example.
The days of mass cut and run were in Carolyn's time, e.g. FCO, MAD etc.

I think there are much richer pickings for the LCCs and indeed ULCCs outside of targeting easyJet in this period ...

I agree with that. From EDI FR moved onto the STN route, with no effect on EZY, and FR gave up. They've also started to Berlin and Lisbon with no effect on EZY, and I wonder whether they will return. It seems that the EZY and FR markets are quite separate.

yes InOban,
And the competitors have realised that Ryanair invest heavily in discounting until the incumbent leaves. When Ryanair sees that the incumbent is holding firm they often stop wasting money. Ryanair are a commercial outfit, there is little or no point losing money on a route when the other airlines are not moving. Example Lufthansa at Frankfurt and Munich v Ryanair. That story has not concluded yet but FR axed double daily DUB MUC so this goes some way to show that FR have costs too and price is not the only ingredient in success.

According to Simon Calder who was on the flight to Glasgow this morning he thought he was the only fare paying passenger with the other 50-odd on board being easyJet cabin crew (in civvies). He reckon he was charged £150 one way! It looks like oh my god we haven't hardly any pax booked on the flight would you like to have a jolly up to Glasgow and back so it looks good on the telly.

People didn't really know we were resuming flying though.

Outside of work emails, I have seen NOTHING indicating we were starting flights again today.


So maybe NOW people see it in the news or whatever and then they start to book flights again and travel.
Or maybe domestically people don't have much reason to travel (since we can't spend the night somewhere yet except in the "bubble"), yet people really want to get out of the UK, so maybe as international flights start they will be more full.

Scotland still have a ban on non essential travel dont they as well? Will take a bit of time but great to see EZY planes flying again.

Lisa Minot, the travel editor for The Sun said the complete opposite - that it was made up of mainly journalists... Maybe Simon Calder doesn't know what one of those is?? 🤔

16 June 2020

easyJet plc

('easyJet')



easyJet agrees delivery dates on deferred aircraft





On 9th April 2020, easyJet announced the net deferral of 24 aircraft deliveries versus our previously disclosed fleet plan. easyJet and Airbus have today finalised the exact delivery dates for aircraft deferred as a direct response to COVID-19.



In total, 32 aircraft with original delivery dates between June 2020 and December 2021 were deferred. As 8 aircraft were deferred from FY2020 to FY2022, the net number of deferrals from the Financial Years 2020, 2021 and 2022 was 24 aircraft (being 32 less 8), as announced on 9th April 2020. These 24 aircraft were originally deferred beyond December 2022 and it has now been agreed that these aircraft will be delivered from FY2025 to FY2027.



All aircraft purchased by easyJet under the terms of the original 2013 Airbus agreement are subject to a very substantial discount from the list price which remains unchanged. Within the 2013 agreement a price escalation mechanism is used to reflect market inflation in labour and material costs1. By applying this inflationary mechanism, the future aggregate cash price of the 32 deferred aircraft, at their future delivery dates, could increase by up to c.£95 million2 the large majority payable between FY2025 and FY2027. Any increase would be materially offset by the reduced cost of borrowing associated with the significant cashflow benefits in the next 16 months arising from these deferrals (including consequential changes to the schedule of pre-delivery payments).



As part of these agreements, easyJet has also secured for nil consideration an extension to the deadlines for the exercise of existing deferral and purchase rights.



easyJet now has the flexibility until December 2020 to defer two aircraft and the option to not take up to seven aircraft currently scheduled for delivery between FY2022 and FY2026. easyJet has also secured additional flexibility with respect to its existing purchase options of 13 aircraft, by agreeing an extension to the deadline for the exercise of such options from November 2020 to November 2021 (in respect of seven aircraft) and to November 2022 (in respect of six aircraft). These changes complement our pre-existing deferral rights.



Johan Lundgren, easyJet CEO said:

"I am pleased to confirm the detail of easyJet's revised aircraft delivery commitments. The 24 aircraft that were originally deferred beyond December 2022, will now be delivered from FY2025 to FY2027, whilst our significant discount from list price remains unchanged. We have also agreed further flexibility in relation to deferral rights and future purchase options. The changes agreed defer capacity in the medium term while continuing our long-term strategy of replacing our older fleet with the advanced and lower fuel burning A320NEO family."





1 As set out in the circular sent to shareholders prior to easyJet entering into the 2013 agreement with Airbus.



2 £47 million relating to the original deferral of 8 aircraft to delivery in FY2022 and 24 aircraft to delivery beyond December 2022, and £48 million relating to the further deferral of these 24 aircraft to deliver in FY2025 to FY2027.

It is normally quite accurate to take what Simon Calder says about travel/transport and assume the complete opposite.

That'll be why he's won so many awards. Famously he always pays for his tickets. I'll bet the other so-called journalists were on freebies. The idea that the Sun has any genuine journalists? Does not compute.

EasyJet to close UK bases at London Stansted, Southend and Newcastle
 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/1199...end-newcastle/

All will at least remain part of the airline's route network without based aircraft. The rest of their UK network also under review.

Legally Easyjet have to apply a 90 day employee "consultation" period. Add 4 weeks notice, and it goes to Sunday 25 October, i.e. end of the S20 season. This is not a "well we had an idea and thought we might do this" - using today to begin the formal consultation period was very much a deliberate choice

Not entirely unexpected, but it's news we don't want to hear.
Back in April (earlier on this thread) it was stated there were plans to reduce the fleet by 3-14% over the next 18 months. But if a third of UK-based pilots are at risk of redundancy then surely the fleet will shrink by far more than 3-14%. There were 352 aircraft in April. If that number was to be cut by a third, over 100 aircraft will have to go. Is this not closer to the thinking of Sir Stelios a few weeks ago - or even worse than he envisaged?

to what extent could there be opportunity to re-deploy aircraft and crew to gatwick from stansted and luton as three of the biggest operators there are in retrenchment mode?

i also wonder to what degree EZY might go to lengths to counter the Wizz threat at Gatwick - is cutting the two weakest London bases strategic in order to fuel their ability to do this?