Business

Easyjet cuts back its operation at Belfast International Airport

Easyjet planes at Belfast International Airport on Monday. Picture by Pacemaker Press.
Easyjet planes at Belfast International Airport on Monday. Picture by Pacemaker Press.
By Ryan McAleer

EASYJET has cut seven destinations from its planned schedule at Belfast International Airport and delayed the return of another ten routes.

The low cost carrier had planned to have 21 destinations operational at Aldergrove by the end of September. But just 15 are back in service, with two of those routes to Faro and Majorca due to cease until next spring.

Plans to resume flights to ten other destinations have been delayed, seven of them until spring 2021.

It comes as the airline warned it is set to slump into the red by up to £845 million due to the pandemic in what will mark the first full-year loss in its history.

The group said it is braced for underlying pre-tax losses of between £815m and £845m for the year to September 30 after seeing passenger numbers halve as the coronavirus crisis crippled the industry.

The Luton-based carrier said losses reached between £295m and £325m in its fourth quarter, which were lower than those in the previous three months when planes were grounded during the lockdown.

It said it continues to keep its finances under review and "assess further funding opportunities" amid reports that it has warned the UK Government it may need further financial support if the pandemic continues to batter demand.

The group has signalled in talks with Whitehall that it may need a state loan or other form of financial aid, according to Sky News.

Over the full year, passenger numbers tumbled by 50 per cent to 48 million.

It is expecting to fly only around 25 per cent of its planned services in the quarter to the end of December.

Destinations axed from EasyJet’s schedule at Belfast International Airport (date it had been due to return):

  • Venice (07/09/2020)
  • Valencia (08/09/2020)
  • Dubrovnik (09/09/2020)
  • Salzburg (20/09/2020)
  • Prague (26/10/2020)
  • Marrakech (31/10/2020)
  • Lyon (19/12/2020)

Routes now delayed (original return date – and new date)

  • Amsterdam (07/09/2020 - 18/12/2020)
  • Barcelona (20/07/2020 - 28/03/2021)
  • Bordeaux (25/07/2020 - 31/03/2021)
  • Ibiza (25/07/2020 - 28/04/2021)
  • Isle of Man (07/09/2020 - 29/03/2021)
  • Jersey (01/08/2020 - 30/03/2021)
  • Krakow (26/07/2020 - 08/11/2020)
  • Nice (08/09/2020 – 30/03/2021)
  • Paris (07/09/2020 – 18/12/2020)
  • Split (01/08/2020 – 04/05/2021)