Portugal Business News - With increasing pressure on Portugal airport capacity, EasyJet plans to carry more passengers per plane by investing in Airbus A321 aircraft that may increase its passenger number by 80, thus reaching a total of 244 seats. The EU Commission has ranked EasyJet first among air-carriers that have applied for a portfolio of up to 18 daily slots at Lisbon airport.
EasyJet will start operating new routes from October 2022, while accelerating its transition to carbon neutrality with new aircraft. EasyJet is a European low-cost airline with leading positions at primary airports in Europe. It is one of the largest airlines in the world, with 308 aircraft, operating 927 routes across 34 countries and 153 airports.
Airbus expanded the A321neo’s seating capacity with the optimized use of cabin space, while still accommodating Airbus’ modern comfort standard of seats that are at least 18 inches wide.
EasyJet plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, with measures that include investments in new airplanes, energy-efficiency and the future use of hydrogen-powered aircraft. The new aircraft will not only carry more passengers but will also consume 15% less fuel. This goal will be reached by the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that is produced from sustainable feedstocks. SAF gives an impressive reduction of up to 80% in carbon emissions compared to traditional jet fuel.
Despite the bottlenecks at the Humberto Delgado airport, EasyJet is confident that its larger airplanes will circumvent such issues, as the Portugal market is high on their agenda. The new slots, together with the Airbus A321 will increase their market-share in Portugal.
With the increased presence of EasyJet in Portugal from the end of October, the airline will become the second largest carrier operating in Lisbon. By the end of 2022, EasyJet will have 19 aircraft based in Portugal, that will lead to carrying more than 10 million passengers on a yearly basis. With an additional 4.8 million seats between October 2022 and March 2023, this will lead to an increase of 51% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The new EasyJet investments in Portugal will not only benefit the Tourism Industry but will also lead to the creation of 130 direct jobs in Portugal, where it already employs more than 500 people, thus paving the way for further growth in 2023.
Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/easyjet-investment-portugal