Overview
- easyJet reported on Thursday that it made a half‑year pre‑tax loss of £552 million while saying it has normal short‑term fuel supply visibility and intends to operate its full summer schedule.
- The airline has hedged about 72% of its fuel for the summer and 53% for winter, and it has paused short‑term hedging because near‑term prices remain elevated.
- EasyJet has pledged not to add fuel surcharges to existing bookings and has raised minimum winter fares by about £2–£3 to help offset higher fuel costs.
- The wider industry faces pressure after tanker flows through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted and jet‑fuel prices roughly doubled, prompting some carriers to cut schedules and prompting warnings that weaker, unhedged rivals may struggle.
- Risk remains once hedges expire because falling long‑range bookings reduce revenue visibility, weaker balance sheets may force deeper cuts, and regulators are considering emergency supply measures to avert regional shortages.