easyJet said on Friday it is cancelling hundreds of flights, including 500 flights on its Italian routes. It will mean dropping one in every 10 scheduled flights to Italy. The British low-cost airline has also announced cost-saving measures. This decision comes following a sharp drop in demand, caused by the sudden appearance of several dozen cases of Covid-19 in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, in particular.
easyJet also reports a declining demand in other European markets. “As a result, we will decide to cancel some flights, especially those to and from Italy. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our flight schedule to the demand.”
It is not yet certain that flights from Brussels will be affected. easyJet takes off there only to Germany, Switzerland and France.
In order to reduce the financial impact of the coronavirus, easyJet will, among other things, by a hiring freeze, cancelling promotions and salary increases and offering unpaid leave. In the coming summer season, easyJet also wants to base aircraft at destinations that offer greater sales opportunities when the market recovers.
Meanwhile, a broad working group at easyJet conducts daily consultations and ensures that all processes and policy measures continue to function effectively. “Our procedures for dealing with communicable diseases are similar to those developed during the SARS epidemic and other global health emergencies.“
