EasyJet latest to call on government for support

EasyJet’s losses soared to more than GBP800m this year, sending the low-cost airline into the red for the first time in its 25-year history, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten the future of companies across the global travel industry. In a sign of increasing desperation for airlines, easyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren urged the British government to prop up the sector further as the company slashes winter flight schedules because of plunging passenger demand. “The UK government urgently needs to step up with a bespoke package of measures to ensure airlines are able to support economic recovery when it comes,” he said. Aviation is the latest industry to demand more support from government, joining hospitality, leisure and the arts. It has been one of the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic, with flights grounded and staff furloughed as governments have been forced into aggressive international quarantines to contain the outbreak. On Wednesday, Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands airports warned that almost 900 jobs were at risk after a 90% cut in demand for travel since March, following similar warnings at other main airports. “Along with other airlines, the company now has to look to summer 2021 for at least a partial recovery in demand. Absent this, the industry will face an existential threat,” said Daniel Roeska, a Bernstein analyst.<br/>