EasyJet unveils rise in passenger figures

Budget airline EasyJet today reported a 3.5 per cent increase in passenger numbers for last month, narrowing the gap behind market leader Ryanair.

EasyJet said it carried almost 4.5 million passengers in December, compared with Ryanair’s tally of five million, which the Irish group said was a record for the month.

However, Ryanair’s annual passenger total of 81.4 million remains well ahead of the 61.3 million people who flew with EasyJet in 2013.

EasyJet’s planes were more full than its Dublin-based rival in December with a load factor of 87.9 per cent, compared with Ryanair’s 81 per cent.