easyJet marks 30th anniversary with “Generation easyJet” flight and report on low-cost travel’s cultural impact

easyJet celebrated its 30th birthday today by re-creating its first-ever flight from London Luton to Glasgow, operated entirely by a crew of 30-year-olds — all born the same year the airline was founded. Joining them was Captain Fred Rivett, who flew that inaugural service on 10 November 1995.

To mark the milestone, the airline released a major report detailing the “easyJet effect” — how three decades of affordable air travel have reshaped British culture, travel habits and the economy.

According to the study:

• easyJet contributed £21 billion in Gross Value Added and 243,600 UK jobs in the past year — about £300 per UK resident.
• Real-term starting fares on routes such as Glasgow, Belfast, Amsterdam, Milan and Barcelona are over 50% cheaper than in 1995.
• By contrast, prices for everyday goods like jeans, stamps and homes have risen sharply over the same period.

CEO Kenton Jarvis said the airline’s mission “has always been to make travel easy and affordable for everyone,” adding that the anniversary flight symbolised “three decades of Generation easyJet.”

Research commissioned for the event found that 94% of Brits believe family holidays abroad are easier now than in their childhoods, and 83% travel abroad more often. The rise of spontaneous weekend breaks, solo trips, and low-fare flights from regional airports has redefined how Britons explore Europe.

The study also highlights easyJet’s influence beyond tourism:

• 83% of Brits say travel has changed their tastes in food and drink.
• 70% credit affordable flying with helping them maintain friendships and relationships across borders.
• 42% have attended concerts abroad, and 60% watch more international films and TV thanks to travel inspiration.

London Luton Airport CEO Alberto Martin hailed easyJet’s role in “revolutionising leisure travel,” while travel journalists Nigel Thompson and Lisa Minot described the airline as a “game-changer that made spontaneous European trips part of everyday life.”

Now Europe’s second-largest low-cost carrier, easyJet flies over 100 million passengers annually across 1,000 routes in 35 countries, and will open a new UK base at Newcastle in 2026.

“From £29 flights to Glasgow to £14.99 getaways to Faro, easyJet has transformed how we connect, explore and live,” said Rivett. “It’s been quite a journey.”