easyJet

Founded by Stelios Haji-IoannouStelios Haji-IoannouStelios Haji-Ioannou is a British-Cypriot entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Stelmar and easyJet and developed brand licensing through easyGroup. A longtime Monaco resident, he established the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation to support education, entrepreneurship and community causes.Open the full entry, easyJet operated its inaugural flight, EZY121 from London Luton to Glasgow, on November 10, 1995. Edinburgh was also an early destination. The airline’s launch predates the incorporation of easyJet plc.⁠[4][2][3]

easyJet opened its first international route, Luton–Amsterdam, in 1996. Expansion included a Liverpool base in 1997 and, in 1998, online booking and a 40% stake in TEA Basel, the operation that became easyJet Switzerland.⁠[2]

Companies House records easyJet plc, company number 03959649, as incorporated on March 24, 2000. It listed on the London Stock Exchange that year. Stelios retained ownership of the easyJet brand through his private company easyGroup, separating the airline business from the brand owner.⁠[3][2][5]

easyJet acquired low-cost carrier Go Fly in 2002 and received its first Airbus A319 in 2003.⁠[2]

In 2017, easyJet obtained an Austrian air operator certificate and launched easyJet Europe. easyJet UK was also established that year in preparation for the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.⁠[6]

easyJet launched easyJet holidays in November 2019, enabling customers to book package holidays directly with the group and extending its offering from flights to flight-and-accommodation packages.⁠[2]

The COVID-19 pandemic led easyJet to ground its entire fleet for the first time in 2020.⁠[6]

Kenton Jarvis became easyJet’s chief executive on January 1, 2025, having joined as chief financial officer on February 3, 2021. The current official leadership page continues to list him as CEO.⁠[7]

At September 30, 2025, easyJet had 356 aircraft. For financial year 2025, it carried 93.4 million airline passengers, reported approximately £10.1 billion in revenue and £658 million in profit before tax, alongside £665 million in headline profit before tax. Passenger numbers differ from the 104.0 million seats flown.⁠[6]

For the six months ended March 31, 2026, easyJet reported a £552 million pre-tax loss and a 90% load factor. Management described higher fuel costs and reduced booking visibility associated with the Middle East conflict. These figures cover the half year, not the full financial year.⁠[8]

In the quarter ended June 30, 2026, easyJet carried 25.8 million passengers at an 88.9% load factor. Headline pre-tax profit fell to £85 million from £286 million a year earlier. Its July 23 update attributed pressure to higher fuel prices and weaker booking trends following the conflict, while reporting strong late bookings.⁠[9]

On August 6, 2026, easyJet and Eagle Bidco announced a recommended cash acquisition. Bidco is indirectly owned by Apollo-managed funds. The offer of £7.15 per share valued easyJet’s issued and to-be-issued ordinary share capital at approximately £5.7 billion.⁠[10]

On August 25, the parties extended the scheme-document deadline to October 15, 2026, with shareholder meetings expected around the week beginning November 9. Completion remained expected by the end of the first calendar quarter of 2027, subject to conditions being satisfied or waived. As checked on October 12, 2026, this entry records a proposed acquisition.⁠[11]

easyJet: Official website: https://www.easyjet.com/en/ (opens in a new window). Investor information: https://corporate.easyjet.com/ (opens in a new window). easyJet holidays: Official website: https://www.easyjet.com/en/holidays (opens in a new window). Brand owner easyGroup: Official website: https://easy.com/ (opens in a new window). easyJet’s LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry company account is https://www.linkedin.com/company/easyjet/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1][5][12]