Low cost airline easyJet will base an eighth aircraft at Liverpool John Lennon Airport from summer 2025 supporting an additional 400 jobs. Tony McDonough reports
Budget airline easyJet will increase the number of its aircraft at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) from seven to eight from summer 2025.
This latest investment at LJLA will support an extra 400 jobs. On Wednesday easyJet revealed pre-tax profits for the 12 months to September 30 of £610m – 34% higher than last year. This was boosted by pre-tax profits of £190m from its holidays division.
Its growth at Liverpool, where it now has 27 routes, has been driven by demand for leisure travel, with a quarter of customers at LJLA travelling on an easyJet holiday. Beach packages to Costa Blanca, Majorca and Tenerife have proven particularly popular.
Ali Gayward, easyJet UK country manager, said: “Our success in Liverpool is a testament to the continued popularity of our flights and holidays, with more than 2.2m customers this year choosing us for our trusted brand, unrivalled network and great value fares.
“The growth of our fleet with yet another aircraft at our Liverpool base will not only support around 400 jobs, but is enabling us to further unlock the opportunity of the continuing demand that we see for both leisure and business travel in the North West.
“We’re already capturing this opportunity with the launch of more new routes, which will provide more customers with greater choice when booking a well-earned holiday, and we look forward to welcoming them on board.”
Total annual revenues at easyJet were 14% higher at £9.3bn and its outgoing chief executive, Johan Lundgren, said the carrier is on track to eventually reach its goal of annual pre-tax profits of £1bn.
During the year easyJet flew a total of 89.7m passengers, up from 82.8m in the previous year. Load factor (percentage of seats filled) was 89.3%, identical to last year. Revenue per seat, including extras such as extra luggage and food, was up 3% to £81.35.
This month easyJet announced another new route out of Liverpool. Starting on June 9, it will run two return flights each week – Mondays and Fridays – between Liverpool and Split, the largest city on the Croatian coast with a history going back to Roman times.
Paul Winfield, director of aviation for LJLA, added: “We are naturally delighted to see easyJet further strengthen their operations here at Liverpool.
“As a long-term partner, easyJet has helped more than 50m passengers take advantage of Liverpool’s faster, easier friendlier airport experience over the past 27 years.
“The basing of their 8th aircraft with eight new routes for next summer will see easyJet continue to grow its operations here.
READ MORE: Liverpool Airport sees surge in passengers and profits
“It also brings the potential for further route expansion in the future, to the benefit of the Liverpool City Region and the wider North West and North Wales in what is the largest aviation market in the UK outside London.
EasyJet launched services from Liverpool for the first time in October 1997, with the opening of its base with flights to Nice, Amsterdam and Geneva, where it will now base eight Airbus A320 family aircraft.