Budget airline easyJet today said it saw passenger numbers soar by almost a quarter last month but warned that the outlook remained uncertain.
Luton-based easyJet said it carried 2.08 million people in January, 23.8 per cent up on the 1.68 million in the same month last year. In the three months to December, passenger numbers increased 26 per cent to 6.7 million.
The carrier said it had experienced a sound first quarter and that the second quarter was performing positively so far. However, easyJet said market visibility remained limited and that the second quarter outcome would depend on the crucial Easter period.
Chief executive Mr Ray Webster said it was basing yield forecasts in its longer term business plan - the amount of money it makes per customer - on an outlook of "continued intense competition".
EasyJet said its load factor - how full its aircraft were - dipped 0.8 percentage points to 76.4 per cent in January. For the three months to December, the load factor rose 0.6 percentage points to 83 per cent.
Total revenues for the 12 months to January increased by 18.7 per cent to 1.16 million while total revenue per passenger in the three months to December dipped 0.8 per cent to £41.87 million.
Mr Webster said that while average fares in the quarter to December fell 2 per cent to £39.04 sterling, the airline's focus on ancillary revenue sources - such as more vigorous application of its excess baggage policy and improvements to on-board services - resulted in the contribution per passenger from that source rising by 21 per cent.