EasyJet’s complete fleet grounded
Friday, April 3, 2020
The company has made the decision to completely halt its operations due to the current coronavirus crisis. The airline stated that it will continue to assist the government regarding repatriation efforts and rescue missions if needed.
The suspension of all flights comes as a result of drastic travel restrictions put in place all around the world and, especially, in Europe. Before suspending all operations, EasyJet had, impressively, assisted the government with repatriating 45,000 people on more than 600 flights.
Will EasyJet survive the crisis?
The airline has already requested State assistance. A move heavily criticised by some pundits as the airline also announced that it would continue with the scheduled payment of dividends to its shareholders.
Some measures to survive the crisis are already in place. Most of EasyJet’s crew is already taking a leave of absence but retaining 80% of their salaries through the job retention scheme set up by the government. John Lundgren, EasyJet’s CEO, said that he was confident the airline held a strong position to weather the crisis.
EasyJet flight cancellations, what to do now?
Passengers who’ve booked tickets with EasyJet and whose flights have been cancelled are entitled to the full refund of their bookings as per Regulation EC 261/2004. Some airlines, amongst them EasyJet, may not be complying strictly with the regulation. However, they will offer you a travel credit or vouchers for you to fly with them on a posterior date. Passengers will have to pay for the difference in fare, something that has angered many customers and consumer rights organisations, Flight-Delayed included.
EasyJet has told the BBC that "customers on cancelled flights can transfer to an alternative flight free of charge or receive a voucher for the value of their booking online or claim a refund through our contact centre.”
If your flight has been affected, we recommend that you contact the airline as soon as possible.
As of today, all of EasyJet’s fleet (331 aircraft) is grounded and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
Don't want to miss out on any new blog entries? like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.