easyJet will reduce its Airbus A319 aircraft capacity in order to fly with fewer cabin crew members. The move comes as the UK-based budget carrier faces staff shortages.
As part of its plan to fight the shortages, easyJet will remove six seats from several Airbus A319 aircraft, leaving the aircraft with a 150-seat capacity.
According to the UK CAA, airlines must have one cabin crew member per 50 passengers. With the reduced capacity, easyJet could operate with just three cabin crew members.
“This summer we will be operating our UK A319 fleet with a maximum of 150 passengers onboard and three crew in line with CAA regulations,” an easyJet spokesperson told AeroTime in an emailed statement. “This is an effective way of operating our fleet while building additional resilience and flexibility into our operation this summer where we expect to be back to near 2019 levels of flying.”
Currently, easyJet Group has a total of 321 aircraft in its fleet, according to Planespotters.net. The airline’s fleet comprises 214 Airbus A320s, 92 Airbus A319s, and 15 Airbus A321 aircraft.
The UK’s busiest airports and largest carriers have been facing long queues, massive flight cancellations and delays due to staff shortages.
The aviation sector is facing staffing problems as a result of the high level of people on furlough during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a subsequent increase in air travel demand before this year’s busy summer period.