Passenger numbers up at easyJet

Updated 16.38 Fri Sep 05 2008

Keywords: Gatwick, GB airlines, Stansted, ryan air, no frills airline, BA, easyjet

No-frills airline easyJet has said it carried nearly 900,000 more passengers in August than a year ago.

The firm's planes flew 4.59 million customers in August, an increase of 24 per cent, benefiting from the recent acquisition of GB Airways.

It is faced with an increase of £185 million in its annual fuel bill

The Luton based firm's planes were also fuller, with its load factor up four per cent points to 91.3 per cent. This contrasts with British Airways, which reported a 2.7 per cent decline in load factor for August.

But easyJet is being hit by high oil prices and the company has warned annual profits could be as much as 42 per cent lower than last year as it is faced with an increase of £185 million in its annual fuel bill.

It hopes to offset more than 50 per cent of the price hikes through revenue growth and cost savings and has vowed to be "relentless" in addressing costs and efficiency.

The company is planning to cut capacity by 12 per cent at Stansted this winter to focus on Gatwick and the GB Airways business.