Irish Travel Trade News understands that easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s recently announced new airline, Fastjet, will be a venture designed to market unsold seats on charter aircraft.
This was mentioned at IT&CMA, currently taking place in Bangkok and being attended by ITTN, after keynote speaker Jennie Chua, Chief Corporate Officer of CapitalLand Ltd, finished her address on ‘Leadership in Times of Uncertainty and Crisis’ with the suggestion that a new business opportunity in these uncertain times could be a clearing house to sell all those unused tickets on budget airlines. “I don’t know how to do it,” she added, “otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here but would be outside setting up the company!”
Stelios stepped down from the easyJet board last year and has been in dispute with the airline, in which he and his family still own a 38% share through his easyGroup company. EasyJet has asserted that it has several rights under its agreement with easyGroup and that it seeks “constructive dialogue” with the group and Stelios, but also that it will take “necessary action” if any Fastjet activity infringes easyJet’s rights.
