The British low-cost airline Easyjet remains cautious in Germany and is not planning any growth for the time being following the massive retreat of the corona pandemic. “We have now found the right size,” said CEO Johan Lundgren on Thursday in Berlin, referring to the fleet of eleven aircraft. These Airbus aircraft are all stationed at the capital’s BER airport. After Air Berlin went bankrupt, Easyjet was still by far the number one airline in Berlin with 34 aircraft. In the wake of the corona pandemic, the British massively reduced their fleet, first to 18, then to eleven machines.
“There are no plans to expand,” said Lundgren, referring to the fleet. You grow responsibly and carefully. There are interesting destinations where Easyjet could expand if there is enough demand. Turkey is a big market. Lundgren said that the business and city trips business is recovering noticeably after the Corona lull. In Germany, Easyjet only flies to the major city airports of Berlin, Munich and Hamburg all year round, as well as Friedrichshafen with seasonal restrictions. The airline has around 700 local employees at its base at the capital’s BER airport.
Lundgren emphasized that Germany is an important location for Easyjet. This is also shown by the opening of the Easyjet maintenance hangar in Berlin at the beginning of 2023. However, the Swede complained – just like his Irish rival Ryanair – that location costs in Germany were too high. “But even if we have managed a successful turnaround at BER, we have to recognize that the costs of the German aviation industry are still unpleasantly high,” said Lundgren. “We have seen significant increases in aviation tax, air traffic control and security levies, and overall high infrastructure costs.”
In the future, Easyjet also wants to put together holiday packages for travelers in Germany and thus secure a larger piece of the tourism market. The package tour provider Easyjet Holidays will start at the end of this year, said Lundgren. “With our in-house holiday packages we set ourselves apart from other airlines in Germany.”
The former TUI manager explained that the new concept, which has recently also been available in Switzerland, has already had great success in Great Britain. Easyjet Holidays offers travelers offers to over 70 destinations in Europe and a selection of more than 4,000 hotels. Due to a very low cost base, Lundgren assumes that Easyjet Holidays will break even in Germany in the first year.