Budget airline EasyJet heading towards record annual profits of £703million despite tough winter
EasyJet also plans to reopen its Newcastle base
RAKE IT EASY Budget airline EasyJet heading towards record annual profits of £703million despite tough winter
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
EASYJET is cruising towards record annual profits of £703million.
The budget airline welcomed 18.2million passengers in the first three months of 2025 — up 8 per cent on the same period a year ago.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
4
Easyjet is cruising towards record annual profits of £703million
Credit: Reuters
4
The firm welcomed 18.2million passengers in the first three months of 2025
Credit: Getty
EasyJet also plans to reopen its Newcastle base, which was shut in 2020 during the pandemic.
It made losses of £394million for the six months to the end of March, after a hard winter and late Easter.
But that was a 'slight improvement' of about £50million when the later timing of Easter was taken into account.
There was good news from the firm's package holiday arm which made pre-tax profits of £44million in the six-month period, a 42 per cent increase year-on-year.
Total revenue during the period climbed 8 per cent to £3.53billion, comprising increases of 5 per cent from passenger sales, 7 per cent from ancillary and 29 per cent from its holidays arm.
Ancillary revenue, from extra charges for cabin baggage, priority boarding or food, came in at £978million by the end of the period, up from £911million a year ago.
Chief executive Kenton Jarvis said: 'We remain focused on delivering another record summer this year, expecting to drive strong earnings growth as we progress towards our target of sustainably generating over £1billion of annual profit before tax.'
In further good news for the North East, easyJet said it would launch the new base at Newcastle International next spring, creating 130 jobs for pilots, crew and engineers.
Airport boss Nick Jones said the move was 'a significant boost to the local economy by creating high-quality jobs and attracting more inbound visitors to the region'.
4
EasyJet plans to reopen its Newcastle base, which was shut in 2020 during the pandemic
Credit: Alamy
EasyJet cabin bag rules explained - and which items you can take for free
DISCOUNTDOWN
DISCOUNT store Poundland should be sold by September, according to owners Pepco.
The firm hopes to flog the 818-branch chain for just £1 so it can focus on its more profitable European chains.
Poland-based Pepco, which bought the business in 2016, has struggled to make it profitable and revenues fell 6.5 per cent for the six months to March.
Boss Stephan Borchert called trading 'challenging'.
Potential buyers are believed to include US firm Gordon Brothers, which used to own Laura Ashley.
MITCHELLS & BUTLERS, the owner of Toby Carvery, said pre-tax profit rose 24 per cent to £134million in the last six months thanks to its Harvester and All Bar One chains.
It warned costs are rising but they would be offset by rising sales.
BT INCOME CALL
TELECOMS giant BT has warned that earnings will be flat this year as it concentrates on cost-cutting and plans to refocus on its UK business.
It has already saved £900million and cut its workforce by 8 per cent as part of plans to axe up to 55,000 jobs by 2030.
Chief executive Allison Kirkby is leading a revamp of the business since taking over last year and is considering flogging or breaking up its international arm.
Underlying earnings rose 1 per cent to £8.21billion in the year to the end of March.
PROFITS WILT FOR BLOOMS
SHARES in Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury fell 17 per cent yesterday after it revealed weaker profits, despite selling more books in the last year.
Pre-tax profits slipped by 22 per cent to £32.5million for the year to the end of February.
4
Shares in Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury fell 17 per cent
Credit: Bloomsbury
Boss Nigel Newton remained upbeat, saying the business is 'monetising academic content through AI deals in our authors' best interests'.
It benefited by expanding its consumer portfolio, which includes genres like fantasy, cosy crime and cookery, and it has a strong release list for the new financial year.
Revenues in its non-consumer division, which publishes academic publications, grew 12 per cent to £105million.
Bloomsbury snapped up US publisher Rowman & Littlefield last year.
Mr Newton said: 'Trading for 2025/26 is expected to be in line with current consensus expectations.'
DESKING HOTS UP
PROPERTY giant British Land said staff are flocking back to the office in central London, with midweek occupancy rates returning to pre-pandemic levels.
It said rents in the capital had rocketed in the last year, helping it post a 4 per cent rise in profits to £279million.
Earlier this week, HSBC bosses told staff they could lose bonuses unless they were back behind their desks for at least three days a week.
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Popular Co Antrim restaurant announces closure after 60 years serving ‘incredible community'
The Go Sun Chinese restaurant, an institution in Ballymena since 1966, will cease trading in July after nearly six decades of serving the town. It was founded by the late Louis Sung and his wife Choi Lin who moved to Ballymena from Hong Kong in 1965. Go Sun was seen as a pioneer of Chinese cuisine in the region. The restaurant added a new cultural dimension to the local culinary scene which was dominated by European cuisine. Over the decades, the restaurant was refurbished, but always remained a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike, serving generations of families and introducing many to Chinese cuisine for the very first time. Louis and Choi Lin raised their family — Stanley, Susan, Suzie, Sophie and Stephen — within the Ballymena community, becoming a familiar and well-respected part of local life. Beyond their restaurant business, the Sung family played an active role in the local and wider Chinese community. Louis Sung was a key figure in organisations such as the Chinese Welfare Association, supporting fellow immigrants and championing cultural representation across Northern Ireland. Following the passing of Louis Sung in September 2023, the family has continued to run the business with the same commitment to quality and community spirit. On Wednesday evening, Louis' son Stanley announced the family's decision to close the restaurant next month. In a heartfelt message to patrons, Stanley Sung said: 'After 60 wonderful years of proudly serving the incredible community, it is with a heartfelt bittersweet announcement that we are closing the Go Sun in four weeks' time. 'For over two generations of the Sung family, the people of Ballymena have accepted and welcomed us into their community. 'We have been privileged and blessed to have served our loyal customers and friends as they chose the Go Sun to celebrate many of life's milestones and to share their stories. News Catch Up - Thursday 5 June 'We also want to thank our amazing staff who came and went over the years, working alongside the family throughout all the highs and the lows. 'As the doors of the Go Sun close and an era ends, we want to say a massive thank you to all the people who have made it possible, for the wonderful support and mostly for all the fantastic memories.'
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Do Trump's hardline tariffs and travel bans put off Brits from visiting the US?
Tariffs, travel bans, mass firings – if there's one thing you can be sure about with Donald Trump, it's that he'll make news. Constantly . That's even the case here in the UK, where most of his decisions have no direct impact. But is all that coverage having an effect on Brits hopping across the pond for a vacation? If you look at the dry numbers from the US National Travel and Tourism Office, you might think the answer is no. In January, the month of Trump's second inauguration, the number of UK visitors to the US was 5% higher than the previous January. February and April also saw more Brits going to the US than the same months in 2024, suggesting that far from putting people off, we may even be more keen to visit the country when it's run by Trump. ABTA, the British trade association for the travel industry, tells a similar tale. They 'haven't seen any significant changes in terms of UK-US travel post-Trump administration', a spokesperson told Metro, with 'no noticeable shifts away' from the States. But that may not be the full story. Australia-based tour company Intrepid Travel offers small-group trips to destinations as diverse as Nepal, the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica – and the United States. However, the latter has had a significant fall in interest over the past five months, with bookings from UK customers down 12%. That decline appears to be driven by one age group in particular: 21 to 30-year-olds, with whom bookings have fallen by almost a quarter. There was less of an impact for customers above that age bracket. Joanna Reeve, Intrepid's General Manager for the UK & Ireland, told Metro: 'While there is no way to know for sure what is causing the dip, negative perception of the US under the new administration could be playing a part in people's travel choices. 'New immigration rules and travel restrictions could be off-putting for potential visitors.' The country still remains popular overall, she said. According to the Office for National Statistics, the US was the sixth most popular country visited by UK residents in 2023 – though it wasn't far off Portugal and Greece in fifth and fourth place respectively. A survey for ABTA taken in summer last year – before Trump was elected, but while the presidential election campaign was in full swing – found the US came third after only Spain and France when people were asked where they planned to visit in the next 12 months. Even those who disagree with the direction of the Trump administration might want to consider visiting the US in order to mitigate its impact, Joanna suggested. She said: 'There are ways to travel there in a way that supports local people, like through supporting indigenous-led experiences. More Trending 'We're also encouraging people to visit and support the National Parks as they are facing huge cuts to their funding.' Interestingly, the attitude of young travellers with Intrepid – if they are indeed being put off by Trump – does not appear to reflect the broader UK. An Ipsos poll from just before Inauguration Day in January found 18 to 34-year-olds were the most likely age group in the UK to have a favourable view of the US President. However, 47% of Brits between those ages still disliked him compared to 31% who felt the opposite. Those aged 35 to 54 were 64% unfavourable, while 72% of those aged 55 or over felt the same. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Donald Trump roasts Elon Musk and suggests he has 'Trump derangement syndrome' MORE: Donald Trump's travel ban isn't actually about protecting Americans MORE: Fears of a serial killer prowling Texas after 38 bodies pulled from lake in three years
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
EU could approve Mercosur deal by summer, agriculture chief says
BRUSSELS, June 5 (Reuters) - The European Union could approve its planned trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur before summer, but it has not yet fixed a date to do so, EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen told Reuters on Thursday. "It could be before summer," Hansen said in an interview. EU nations still need to approve the deal, which was finalised in December but has faced opposition from members including France, which argues that the pact would hurt European farmers who face stricter norms and regulations than their South American peers. French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva discussed their differences on the pact at a meeting in Paris on Thursday. Macron said the text could be improved with the insertion of mirror clauses. France has previously argued for the insertion of an emergency break clause to restrict imports if a sudden surge in imports destabilises certain EU markets. "This would indeed require that we go back to the table and reopen. I don't think that this would be helpful in this situation," Hansen said of the idea of resuming negotiations with Mercosur countries to add new safeguards to the deal. "I see from many different parts of the agriculture and food sector, they are really looking for having these new opportunities," he added.
