EasyJet has shrugged off uncertainty over the government’s quarantine plans, announcing it will run 75% of its routes by August.
The British airline plans to resume flying this month, although it will have only 30% capacity compared to last summer.
Domestic flights in Britain and flights between Britain and France will be the initial focus of the airline’s new timetable, expected to run from 15 June.
As restrictions ease, it will add more routes – flying 50% of its 1,022 routes in July and 75% in August.
The optimism is despite government plans to make most arrivals to the UK undertake a 14-day quarantine, something the travel industry has criticised.
In March, easyJet grounded its 337 planes, due to travel restrictions and a fall in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Aviation experts have said it could be years before the industry returns to its pre-pandemic size and easyJet is among a number of airlines that have had to make cuts in an effort to survive.
Last week easyJet announced plans to cut up to 4,500 jobs, a move that represents nearly a third – 30% – of the Luton-based airline’s 15,000-strong workforce.
Other carriers, including British Airways and Ryanair, have already announced major job losses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
EasyJet shares were up 3.2% in mid-afternoon trading.
This week from today to Thursday, Dermot Murnaghan will be hosting After the Pandemic: Our New World – a series of special live programmes about what our world will be like once the pandemic is over.
We’ll be joined by some of the biggest names from the worlds of culture, politics, economics, science and technology. If you’d like to be in our virtual audience – from your own home – and put questions to the experts, email [email protected]
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