UK budget airline EasyJet said today that its first-half losses trebled to £57.5m sterling, but passenger numbers were up and summer bookings were ahead of last year.
The company, which issued a profit warning in March due to record fuel costs, said passenger numbers rose 15% for the six months to end March, while the load factor - a measure of how much it fills planes - held steady at 81%.
'EasyJet continues to grow in size and strength. Our load factors remain robust and our forward bookings are slightly ahead of last year,' CEO Andy Harrison said in a statement.
However, he added that high fuel prices - driven by the soaring price of oil - remained the firm's biggest challenge.
'The price of jet fuel has risen 35% over the last three months and is now 80% higher than last year. What is certain is that if these fuel increases are maintained many of our weaker competitors will disappear,' he said.
The company, Europe's second biggest budget carrier in terms of passengers behind Ryanair, said first half revenues rose 24% to nearly £900m. It added that it had successfully integrated GB Airways, the domestic rival it bought in October.
