Easyjet expects second-half revenue to rise, helped by a growing band of business travellers paying higher fares to help Europe’s second-largest low-cost carrier overcome higher fuel costs.

Easyjet, which has increased the number of flights between top business destinations, said last Wednesday nearly half its summer seats had been sold.

The airline posted a pre-tax loss of £112 million (€139.5m) for the six months to March.

It said the first-half loss had been cut because it targeted business travellers, raised fares, had tight cost controls, and enjoyed low levels of disruption compared with previous years, and came despite an €108 million increase in fuel costs.

Easyjet chief executive Carolyn McCall said: “The average fare was around 12 per cent higher across the network but we do not expect it to rise in the second half.”