EasyJet passenger numbers rise to 2.55 million

British low-cost airline easyJet said today passenger numbers increased 21.9 per cent in May from a year ago to 2.55 million.

British low-cost airline easyJet said today passenger numbers increased 21.9 per cent in May from a year ago to 2.55 million.

The airline said its load factor - an indication of how many seats it has filled on flights - was 84.1 per cent, 3 percentage points higher than a year ago.

The increase compared to low-cost rival Ryanair's 34 per cent rise in May passenger numbers to 2.9 million; British Airways last week reported a 4.2 per cent rise in passenger traffic.

EasyJet said its market guidance was unchanged since its first-half results last month.

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"At prevailing fuel prices and exchange rates, we continue to expect reported pre-tax profit to be below last year but in line with current expectations," chief executive Ray Webster said.

The company has expanded aggressively in the past 12 months on short-haul European routes but remains under pressure from high oil prices. It expects total revenues per seat for the year to be flat.