Easyjet to cut routes and aircraft

[Runway 31]

I have just read an article in the online version of the Evening Standard which states that in response to the recent profits warning, easyjet are to carry out a route review and cut those found to be unprofitable.

In addition the article states that 6 aircraft will be withdrawn from use but the delivery schedule of the airbuses will continue as intended.

For anyone interested the article is here http://www.thisislondon.com/news/business/articles/timid79326?source=.

Were the 6 aircraft intended to leave the fleet as the airbuses are delivered or is this a real fleet reduction and what routes could be under threat ?. Really bad news for anyone working with Easy

[witchdoctor]

Not really. I would have thought that getting rid of unprofitable routes to protect the financial viability of the company was actually good news for the company. I doubt cutting 6 routes would lead to many (if any at all) job losses, it just may slow down any planned recruitment.

[outofsynch]

The six planes that are being retired are being replaced by the airbuses... hardly bad news.

And the unprofitable routes cut, will more than likely be covered by new routes being announce periodically.

Why do the media always have to emphasise the negative aspects of any news, by not giving the full facts? :confused:

[Buster the Bear]

There are unsubstantiated rumours circulating, relating to the perfomance of certain routes.

Well easyJet spent a lot of money examining DBA prior to withdrawing interest, so the German routes recently established must be making shed loads of money for easyJet, so which other ones are under the microscope?

[WHBM]

Routes have always come and gone for Easy, just like any other carrier. It's always interesting to look at a timetable say 3 years old for any airline and notice just how much things change.

Remember Liverpool to Luton ?

Regarding the aircraft disposals, I always thought the plan all along was to dispose of the old Go 737s, which are apparently on quite expensive leases, when the A319s arrive in quantity. So are these the 6 aircraft being talked about ?

[AJ]

The sooner the 737 classics go, the better. Can't get enough of the new shiny 'buses, they're great!

Route closures: rumours suggest ZRH is getting the chop: too expensive and bloody slot delays every time we fly there.

The rest is good news really: big expansion down at LGW and new bases at SXF/DTM.

[fimbles]

easyJet has outlined the next stage in its ongoing expansion plans at London's Gatwick Airport, resulting in at least an additional eight services each day.

Over the course of the next few months easyJet will add frequencies to a number of existing routes and start new services to wholly-new destinations.

In September, easyJet will:
· Start services to Budapest and Cologne
· Increase frequency to Madrid to two flights per day

In November, easyJet will:
· Start services to Rome and Venice
· Increase frequency to Cologne to two flights per day

In February, easyJet will:
· Start services to Murcia
· Increase frequency to Geneva to five flights per day

easyJet is also in the planning stage to put more services into Gatwick, the results of which will be announced very shortly.


Perhaps shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers!!

[In trim]

Agree with the posts above.....it is likely to lead to a slight 'sharpening of the knife' and the likes of ZRH are undoubtedly under the microscope. Getting rid of some of the old -300's would be great.....and speeding up the disposal of these aircraft would suit all round whilst also reducing slightly the aggressive expansion plans, given the current market conditions.

However, there are still opportunities out there and my money's on Ryanair and easyJet both being here in a few years time when others may have bitten the dust.

[bmibaby.com]

I think it would be a shame from a customer viewpoint to see the Zurich route axed, especially as they are the only major competition to the one world alliance(BA & Swiss) between London and Zurich, although I have heard that EUJet are doing Zurich from Manston, which at least provides an alternative.

I've never understood why Zurich is so much more expensive to fly to than Geneva, perhaps someone can shed light on this?

Perhaps other domestic routes from NEMA will go (Edinburgh) and maybe a tweaking of routes from the other regional bases to BCN.

[Flightmapping]

I've never understood why Zurich is so much more expensive to fly to than Geneva, perhaps someone can shed light on this?

My guess would be that it has something to do with being the larger of the two main Swiss hubs, and is where most of the banks are located. Doesn't ZRH also have an environmental levy, although as I understand it, this would not apply to EZ's A319s, which have v. low emmissions?

[GrahamK]

Heard rumours of a 6th 73G being based at NCL from October. Any truth in this?

[Mike16]

Hi


Well i know for Easyjet at EMA they are doing very WELL, we had 2 new routes start last week, Rome and Cologne and all the loads are full, we have sold over 40,000 seats on these two routes in 3 weeks, not bad going.
There is talk at EMA that our BCN is coming back very soon, thank god, i also think at EMA we shall be given more new routes as all our loads for the last few months have been very high.
Not bad compared to BMIbaby at EMA who look like they are struggling a little bit.

[no, no, no]

people still seem to forget that it isn't just the loads that make the route profitable - you could fill anything is sold at tuppence!!!

With the CGN/ROM routes being new I assume there would have been a lot of promo tickets given away for those flights - the last thing anyone wants is for the first flights to be empty!! how bad would that look!!!!

See how long they last before seeing if they make money!!!!!


I though BCN couldn't happen as they used the aircraft space to fly ROM in (or CGN) with GLA sourcing the other one? Isn't that how it works? They could do it from the BCN end though!

I was surprised to see both easy and baby through in the towel though on BCN - I know it is probably nothing to do with Ryanair starting, but that is how it has been made to appear!!!!

[ALLMCC]

Apparently Easyjet are celebrating the today's launch of new european routes from BFS with flamenco dancers and sangria - yet another crass waste of shareholders money - shareholders who must already be mighty p****d off watching their investment plummet in recent weeks - surely the money spent on lavish launch parties could be better spent!

[witchdoctor]

Good idea. Let's not publicise new routes at all. Customers can call the airport at their own expense to find out when and where airlines fly.

Pesky, money-wasting advertising.:rolleyes:

[Cyrano]

Quite right, witchdoctor. I mean, flamenco dancers and sangria? That must have cost- oh, a couple of thousand pounds! And all for what? Just a few measly minutes on the TV news and pictures in all the newspapers? Outrageous!

[ALLMCC]

Think you're missing the point guys! - expenditure on media advertising is fully justified and they've been doing this ever since the routes were announced so its unlikely that anyone hasn't noticed - by this token, is the additional expenditure on parties etc really necessary? All I can say is I'm relieved I'm not a shareholder!

[bmibaby.com]

Actually, if you look at the world's most successful low-fares airline, also the one that started it all, Southwest Airlines, their money has been well spent not only on loud advertising campaigns drawing people to the airline, but also big publicity stunts, like the "Malice in Dallas" which gets far more advertising than a small advert in the corner of the paper.

[Scottie]

Good to see you doing a bit of eJ bashing there allmycontributionsrcrap.

Change the record please. :}

Any advertising is good.