easyJet Faces Tough Summer as Fuel Costs Rise and Bookings Lag

easyJet said that summer bookings are behind last year’s level because travelers are becoming more cautious during the Iran war.

The airline said demand has not disappeared, but many passengers are waiting until closer to departure before booking. This makes the summer season harder for easyJet to predict, even though late bookings are still coming in.

The airline also reported a £552 million pre-tax loss ($742 million) for the six months to March 31, compared with a £394 million loss ($530 million) a year earlier. easyJet’s outlook remains uncertain because fuel prices have risen and summer bookings are weaker than usual.

Fuel prices are now the main pressure

The conflict added about £25 million ($33.6 million) to easyJet’s fuel costs in March. The airline said it is not facing fuel supply disruption, but fuel has become much more expensive and harder to plan for.

easyJet has hedged 72 percent of its fuel needs for the next six months, which covers most of the summer period. Hedging means the airline has locked in prices for part of the fuel it expects to use.

The airline is trying to protect summer travel

easyJet says it still plans to operate its full summer schedule. The company reviewed its summer program in March and made only a small 0.3 percent reduction in seats. CEO Kenton Jarvis said summer flying is too important to cut unnecessarily because easyJet makes most of its annual profit during the peak summer weeks.

To reassure passengers, easyJet and easyJet holidays launched a “Book with Confidence Promise” for summer 2026. The company said customers will not face extra charges after booking, including fuel surcharges.

The pressure is not limited to easyJet. Ryanair has also warned that the UK could be one of Europe’s most exposed markets if jet fuel supply problems worsen during the summer season. Ryanair saw supply risk, not only higher prices, as the bigger concern for airlines.

Photo by Frank Schlattmann on Unsplash