EasyJet says security measures at UK airports may hit demand

EasyJet said yesterday its forward bookings had returned to normal but it was worried tighter security arrangements at UK airports would eventualy affect demand.

"Financially our bookings are back to normal. Our concern is the airport experience is much worse than it used to be. How long will customers have to put up with it?," chief executive officer Andy Harrison told an industry conference in London.

"The UK government needs to make some decisions quickly."

EasyJet, Europe's second-largest budget carrier after Ryanair, cancelled a total of 469 flights in August after a security alert to a suspected plot to bomb planes created chaos at UK airports.

EasyJet said last week it expected the financial impact from the disruptions to be about £4 million but it was not changing its expectations for current year pretax profits to increase 40 to 50 per cent.

Mr Harrison said the airline's forward bookings were "fine" but easyJet was lobbying the UK government for a "sensible solution" to tighter hand-luggage restrictions and other airport security measures following a suspected plot to bomb airliners.

He declined to comment on the outlook for the winter period but said recent predictions made by Ryanair were pessimistic.

Mr Harrison earlier told the World Low-Cost Airlines conference that easyJet had no plans to fly long-haul routes.

EasyJet was also in talks with suppliers on a possible introduction of in-flight mobile phone services but there were some significant issues to overcome before it became a reality. Ryanair recently announced plans to allow passengers to use mobile phones on planes from next year.