In an announcement made on November 27, 2024, easyJet revealed an increase of 34% in annual profits for the 12 months ending September 30, 2024. The low-cost carrier achieved a profit before tax of £610 million ($775 million) as the airline cashed in on record-breaking passenger numbers using its services in the summer of 2024.
The airline’s figures revealed the profits before tax rose by £155 million ($197) from the same period in 2023, while the profit per seat achieved was £6.08 ($7.72), up 24% year-on-year. The airline’s package holiday arm, easyJet holidays, recorded £190 million ($241.3 million) of profit before tax, an increase of 56% over the same period in 2023. The carrier saw an increase in passenger numbers over the period of 7% overall and operated 559,000 flights during the year, up from 519,000 the year previously.
Capacity for the full year increased by 8% to 100.4 million seats. During the twelve months, the budget airline group increased the size of its all-Airbus fleet from 319 aircraft in 2023 to 333 in the latest period.
During the last quarter of the 2024 accounting period, easyJet flew 30 million seats, a 5% increase on the same period in 2023 when it flew 28.6 million seats. The airline’s load factor was 92% which matched 2023’s figure. Passenger numbers in the last quarter of 2024 increased to 27.7 million, up from 26.2 million seen in the same period in 2023.
“This strong performance, resulting in a 34% increase in our annual profits, reflects the effectiveness and execution of our strategy as well as the continued popularity of our flights and holidays,” said Johan Lundgren, easyJet’s CEO. It also represents a significant step towards our goal of sustainably generating over £1 billion ($1.27 billion) annual profit before tax.
“It has been a privilege to lead easyJet for the past seven years. I am extremely proud of all that has been achieved, which is a result of the hard work of the entire team. I am pleased to be leaving a strong easyJet, the future for the company is bright and I look forward to seeing Kenton [Jarvis] delivering his ambitious plans, generating positive shareholder returns while making low-cost travel easy for millions of customers.”
“The outlook for easyJet is positive and travel remains a firm priority with consumers who value our low fares, unrivaled network, and friendly service,” added Kenton Jarvis, easyJet’s CFO and CEO designate.
“The airline will continue to grow, particularly on popular longer leisure routes like North Africa and the Canaries and we plan to take 25% more customers away on package holidays, as easyJet holidays continue to thrive. I am looking forward to taking over the controls of this fantastic business in the new year and we still have a lot to go for as we progress towards our ambitious targets.”
Elsewhere in its statement, the airline said that it had reduced its winter losses by £40 million ($50.8 million) through a combination of productivity and utilization benefits. 16 new A320neo family aircraft were delivered to the airline in 2024, which helped achieve cost efficiencies of around £25 million ($31.8 million).
Looking ahead
The carrier expects to reduce its winter losses in 2024/25 with significant improvements in revenue being earned during the first and second quarters of 2025. The carrier is adding more destinations to its ‘winter sun’ offering, stretching the average sector length by 6% which increases efficiencies and reduces costs per sector. Additionally, the earlier timing of the European school Easter holidays is expected to help with the revenue figures for the first half of 2025.
The airline is expecting easyJet Holidays to grow by around 25% in the forthcoming financial year, from a base of 2.6m customers served in 2024. The company advises that its holiday program for the first half of 2025 is already 82% sold.