Passenger numbers grow at easyJet despite 'Beast from the East'

Passenger numbers were higher at easyJet in March, despite the effect of the ‘Beast from the East’, with 6.55 million passengers during the month when compared to the same time last year.

The FTSE 100 low-cost carrier’s load factor also improved by 0.7 percentage points for the month, to 93.4%.

On a rolling 12-month basis, the airline reported an 8.6% increase in passenger numbers to 82.48 million, while its load factor was ahead 1.5 percentage points to 93.3%.

“There were 1,274 cancellations in March 2018 - equivalent to 3% of planned capacity and up on the 575 experienced in March 2017,” the board said in its statement.

“Over 1,000 were caused by adverse weather conditions across Europe and a further 200 due to French and Italian industrial action.”

The company’s passenger statistics were still exclusive of its operations at Berlin Tegel, where it was integrating aircraft and routes acquired from the now-defunct Air Berlin.

At Tegel, easyJet said passenger numbers continued to be in line with expectations, with further details to be provided at its first half results on 15 May.