Easyjet soars towards full-year profit targets
Easyjet today told investors it expected to deliver strong headline profit in its full year results, despite warnings of a no-deal Brexit hitting the airline.
The company said before tax, profit for the year was likely to come in between £570m and £580m, in the upper half of previous guidance.
It said passenger numbers for the full year were expected to increase 5.4 per cent to around 84.6m – driven by an increase in capacity to 90.3m seats.
For its outlook for the year ending September 2019, Easyjet said revenue per seat was likely to decrease by low to mid-single digits.
Read more: Moody's: BA and Easyjet among airlines 'most exposed to a no-deal Brexit'
Yesterday, credit ratings agency Moody's warned that Easyjet and Ryanair among a number of other airlines were most at risk from a no-deal Brexit.
However, it said this drop in revenue would be offset by one-off benefits in 2018 including the bankruptcies of Monarch and Air Berlin, and the impact from flights being cancelled by rival Ryanair in Winter.
It comes on the same day a major Ryanair strike will lead to 250 flights being grounded.
"We now expect our headline profits for the year to be between £570m and £580m, at the top half of our guidance range," said Easyjet boss Johan Lundgren. "This has been achieved despite higher costs caused by disruption due to third party industrial action and severe weather.
"However, we have benefited from a number of one-off events in 2018, including the bankruptcies of Monarch and Air Berlin, as well as Ryanair cancellations."
Read more: Ryanair strike: Tens of thousands to be hit by today's staff walkout