EasyJet soars as numbers rise

EASYJET carried 13 per cent more passengers in December compared with the previous year but warned that the figures were flattered by the adverse weather seen at the end of 2010.

The airline flew 4,135,562 people in December compared with 3,657,186 in December 2010 but said that if the effects of weather disruption the previous year were stripped out, the 2011 figures were up just 4 per cent.

“In December 2010, there was significant disruption from adverse weather with 2,000 sectors cancelled in the month against 149 sectors cancelled in December 2011,” the carrier said.

The figures compare with a 5 per cent drop in passenger numbers at rival airline Ryanair in December while British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) saw a 12.2 per cent jump.