Low-cost airline «EasyJet»

EasyJet is a British low-cost airline based at London Luton Airport. EasyJet is owned by EasyJet Holdings Limited, whose majority shareholder is Stelios Haji-Ioannou. It is domiciled in the British Crown Dependency of Jersey. Other majority shareholders are Polys Haji-Ioannou and Icelandair.EasyJet operates 830 routes throughout Europe, and 104 between Europe and North African airports. Sell ​​directly to the user over the Internet or by phone without having to go through travel agencies. Recently several online travel websites (attrapalo and others) allow easyjet flights to be booked on their own pages using scrapping technology.

To reduce costs, EasyJet subcontracts a large part of its activities to third-party companies, it does not include the price of food on flights, although there are hot and cold food as well as drinks and gifts at lower prices than at the airport for sale, it does not issue tickets, all seats on its planes are economy class and in November 2012 it began assigning seats to passengers. Boarding is done by priority groups, generally granted by the order in which passengers check in their luggage. Unlike other low-cost carriers, EasyJet flies to all major European airports. Like other low-cost airlines, it charges a supplement to its passengers for checking in their luggage),2 a measure that is legal in Spain.

In Spain, the company has subcontracted the service to certain companies such as Flightcare (a subsidiary of the FCC group), Menzies Aviation, Clever or Acciona Airportservices, in charge of billing and ramp.

EasyJet belongs to the Association of European Low Cost Airlines, or ELFAA, in its English acronym (European Low Fares Airline Association).

EasyJet has expanded rapidly since its founding, largely due to its many acquisitions. Its expansion has also been favored by an increase in consumer demand for low-cost flights.

The company was founded on October 18, 1995 by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, making its inaugural flight from London-Luton on November 10 of that same year to Glasgow. At that time, he had leased the planes and the staff and it was not until April 1996 that he bought his first owned plane. This year also began international flights from London to Amsterdam, Nice and Barcelona. In October 1997, the company received its Air Operating Certificate.

In March 1998, EasyJet acquired a 40% stake in the Swiss charter company TEA Basle AG, equivalent to three million Swiss francs. The company was renamed EasyJet Switzerland and began operating as a franchise on April 1, 1999, having moved its headquarters to Geneva International Airport, the first aircraft base outside the UK.

In 2001, EasyJet opened its base at London’s Gatwick airport, and between 2003 and 2007, many others in Germany, France, Italy and Spain, acquiring a significant presence on the European continent.

On May 16, 2002, EasyJet announced its intention to buy rival airline London Stansted, valued at £374 million, and Go Fly, the low-cost subsidiary of British Airways. EasyJet thus inherited three new bases: At Bristol International Airport, in the East Midlands and in London Stansted. The acquisition nearly doubled the number of Boeing 737-300s in the company’s fleet.

On October 25, 2007, it announced the agreement to purchase the entire share capital of GB Airways Ltd, a franchise of British Airways. The deal was paid for 103.5 million pounds and served to expand EasyJet’s operations and open a new base at Manchester Airport. 19 new destinations were incorporated from London Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport.

EasyJet went public on the London Stock Exchange in 2000.