Numerous airlines – EasyJet, Norwegian Airlines, United Airlines, and SAS Scandinavian Airlines amongst them – have posted positive trading updates, further pointing to a strong post-Covid recovery continuation for the global aviation sector.
UK low fares carrier EasyJet – which has an Irish presence out of Belfast’s two airports – despite a £40m write-down due to the Gaza conflict, and a continued halt to flights in and out of Israel; lowered its losses and saw strong bookings for its first quarter.
“We delivered an improved performance in the quarter, which is testament to the strength of demand for our brand and network,” said EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren.
“We see positive momentum for summer 2024, with travel remaining a priority for consumers.”
EasyJet saw 14%, year-on-year, passenger growth in the 3 months to the end of December, with the airline also lowering its first quarter losses from £133m to £126m.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Air has upped its full-year profit forecast for 2023 on the back of better-than-expected passenger numbers in November and December and the receipt of compensation for aircraft delivery delays.
It now expects to post a 2023 operating profit of 2.2bn Norwegian Crowns; up from a previous estimated of 1.8bn-2bn Crowns.
Rival airline SAS Scandinavian Airlines, meanwhile, said it expects its revenues to exceed 48bn Swedish Crowns this year.
