easyJet
easyJet is a European low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport. Founded in 1995, it operates a point-to-point network through UK, Austrian and Swiss air operator certificates under a common brand. As at 31 March 2026, easyJet reported 356 aircraft, 1,273 routes and service to 165 airports in 37 countries.[1][2]
History
Formation and early growth
Stelios Haji-Ioannou founded easyJet in 1995. The first services began in November between Luton and Glasgow and Edinburgh, initially using leased aircraft. International flying followed in 1996 with routes to Amsterdam, Nice and Barcelona, and the airline received its own air operator certificate in 1997.[3][2]
The business used direct telephone and later internet sales, simplified fares and a high-utilisation narrowbody operation. Online booking through easyJet.com launched in 1998. That year the group invested in TEA Basel, which developed into easyJet Switzerland and gave the brand an operating platform outside the United Kingdom.[3][2]
easyJet plc listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2000. London Gatwick became its fifth base in 2001. The acquisition of Go Fly in 2002 enlarged the network and fleet, while the 2007 purchase of GB Airways added Gatwick slots and routes. GB Airways flying transferred to the easyJet operation in March 2008.[3][4]
Transition to Airbus
The airline began as a Boeing 737 operator. Its first Airbus A319 arrived in 2003 under a large fleet agreement, beginning a transition to the Airbus A320 family. easyJet recorded its 100th aircraft and 100 millionth cumulative passenger in 2005. By 2012 it described itself as the world's largest A319 operator and Europe's largest A320-family operator.[3][2]
The first Airbus A320neo joined in 2017 and the first A321neo followed in 2018, when the fleet reached 300 aircraft. Larger A320 and A321 variants have since been used to increase seats per movement at constrained airports while older A319s are progressively withdrawn.[3][1][5]
Pan-European operating structure
The 2016 referendum on UK membership of the European Union created uncertainty over traffic rights for a UK-licensed airline. Austro Control granted easyJet Europe an Austrian air operator certificate in July 2017, and aircraft were transferred to the Austrian register. easyJet UK was established for the post-Brexit UK operation, while easyJet Switzerland retained its separate Swiss certificate.[6][2]
The structure allows the brand's services to be operated by three certificated airlines:
| Operating company | State and regulator | ICAO designator | Principal IATA code | Operational context |
| easyJet UK Limited | United Kingdom; UK CAA | EZY | U2 | UK-registered fleet and UK traffic rights |
| easyJet Europe Airline GmbH | Austria; Austro Control | EJU | EC | EU-registered fleet and intra-EU traffic rights |
| easyJet Switzerland S.A. | Switzerland; FOCA | EZS | DS | Swiss operation centred on Geneva and Basel |
ICAO attributes EZY, EJU and EZS separately because they identify legal aircraft operators, not merely marketing brands. The radiotelephony designators are EASY, ALPINE and TOPSWISS respectively. The UK CAA lists easyJet UK as AOC 2448, while the Swiss authority lists easyJet Switzerland as CH.AOC.1018.[7][8][9][10]
easyJet plc owns easyJet UK and easyJet Europe outright. It holds 49 per cent of easyJet Switzerland's ordinary shares but consolidates it as a subsidiary because it exercises dominant influence and has an option over the remaining shares.[2]
Pandemic and recovery
The Covid-19 pandemic led easyJet to ground its entire fleet for the first time in 2020. Operations restarted progressively amid travel restrictions, and the group later rebuilt capacity while changing parts of its network and fleet plan.[3][2]
The company opened Alicante and Birmingham bases in 2024 and acquired a heavy-maintenance facility in Malta. The 2025 financial year marked the airline's thirtieth anniversary. It carried 93.4 million airline passengers on 104.0 million seats, serving 1,202 routes and 163 airports across the consolidated winter and summer seasons.[2]
Corporate organisation
easyJet plc is the listed parent company. Its airline operators include easyJet Airline Company Limited, easyJet UK Limited, easyJet Europe Airline GmbH and easyJet Switzerland S.A. The wider group also includes easyJet holidays and engineering, financing and support entities.[2]
Hangar 89 at London Luton Airport is the registered head office. Kenton Jarvis became chief executive on 1 January 2025 after serving as chief financial officer. Sir Stephen Hester is non-executive chair.[2][11]
The easyJet name is licensed from easyGroup rather than owned outright by easyJet plc. The brand agreement and the airline group's ownership are therefore separate matters.[12]
Recommended Apollo acquisition
On 6 August 2026, the easyJet board recommended a cash acquisition by Eagle Bidco, a company indirectly owned by investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo. The proposal remained subject to the scheme document, shareholder and court processes, regulatory conditions and other terms. As at 29 August 2026, easyJet plc remained the listed parent and the proposal should not be described as a completed transfer of ownership.[13][14]
Network and bases
easyJet operates short- and medium-haul point-to-point services rather than a connecting hub-and-spoke system. Its business model emphasises frequency and positions at primary or slot-constrained airports, serving both leisure and business demand.[5]
London Gatwick is the largest base and an important focus of the network. London Luton is the historic home and headquarters airport. Other major bases include Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast International, Berlin Brandenburg, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Milan Malpensa, Naples, Lisbon, Porto, Geneva and Basel. Base status is operational and seasonal: it should not be inferred merely because easyJet serves an airport.[2][15]
For the consolidated winter and summer 2025 seasons, easyJet reported 31 bases, 163 airports and 1,202 routes across 37 countries. By 31 March 2026 its operating facts had moved to 165 airports and 1,273 routes, reflecting schedule changes rather than a directly comparable full-year total.[2][1]
Fleet
easyJet operates only Airbus A320-family aircraft. At 31 March 2026 the group reported 79 A319s, 180 A320ceos, 75 A320neos and 22 A321neos, totalling 356 aircraft.[1]
The A319 has 156 seats; A320s use 180- or 186-seat configurations; the A320neo has 186 seats; and the A321neo has 235. Aircraft are allocated among the UK, Austrian and Swiss operators, so group totals must not be treated as a single national register.[1]
In December 2023 easyJet confirmed an order for 157 additional A320neo-family aircraft: 56 A320neos and 101 A321neos. It also converted 35 existing A320neo orders to A321neos. Deliveries support replacement of older aircraft, growth and an increase in average seats per aircraft.[16]
See easyJet fleet for the current structured fleet, ownership split, orders, engines and registration conventions.
Business model and product
The airline sells a base seat with optional charges for services such as checked baggage, seat selection and onboard catering. Aircraft have a single passenger class, with product bundles and paid options changing flexibility or included services rather than creating a physically separate premium cabin.[5]
easyJet concentrates on direct sales and uses digital check-in, self-service disruption tools and high aircraft utilisation to control costs. Its network strategy differs from some low-cost competitors by giving substantial weight to large primary airports and constrained slots.[5]
easyJet holidays, relaunched as a directly operated package-holiday business in 2019, combines flights with accommodation. It is a tour operator within the group and should not be counted as a separate airline or fleet.[3][2]
Safety and operations
Each operating airline is responsible to its national aviation authority for flight operations, continuing airworthiness and crew oversight. A ticket sold under the easyJet brand may therefore identify easyJet UK, easyJet Europe or easyJet Switzerland as the operating carrier.[9][6][10]
The use of a common aircraft family supports shared training and maintenance practices, but national registrations and approvals remain attached to the relevant operator. Current operator, registration and status should be verified from the applicable national register and a recent fleet record rather than inferred from colours or flight number.
Related pages
Sources
Annual Report and Accounts 2025 — easyJet plc
easyJet airline facts — easyJet plc
Our journey — easyJet plc
AOC holders — UK Civil Aviation Authority
Contractions, aircraft company designators and telephonies — Federal Aviation Administration