easyJet to open a base in Hamburg, Germany in Spring 2014 and expand its Berlin base

• easyJet to double its passenger numbers in Hamburg to 1m and add more than 130,000 in Berlin in the first year
• 15 additional new routes in Hamburg and more frequencies in Berlin
• Creation of a 100 of direct jobs in Hamburg and 35 in Berlin

easyJet, the UK’s largest airline and operator of Europe’s leading air transport network, has today announced that it will open a base in Hamburg as well as increasing its fleet in Berlin in Spring 2014. The announcement was made by chief executive Carolyn McCall at an event at Airbus’ facilities in Hamburg.

Building on its success to date in both Hamburg and Berlin, easyJet’s new base will open with three A319 aircraft with the airline increasing its fleet in Berlin by an additional plane.

easyJet will more than double its network from Hamburg with 15 additional new business and leisure routes on the top of its existing portfolio of six routes offering almost 170 flights a week during summer 2014. With more frequencies and early morning departures from Hamburg the schedule will make easyJet more attractive to business passengers.

Carolyn McCall, easyJet chief executive officer, commented:

"I am really pleased to be able to announce the launch of a new base in Hamburg which will enable us to double the size of our operation. Hamburg and its region is one of the most dynamic economies in Europe with a significant and growing tourist industry.

“In the last twelve months more than half a million passengers have enjoyed easyJet’s low fares combined with our friendly service. These expansion plans mean that we expect to carry twice as many passengers in the first year of operations which will take us to more than a million passengers annually for the first time.”

Hamburg will be easyJet’s 23rd base in its European network. Germany’s second largest city is also one of Europe’s wealthiest economies with a strong local industry in banking, aviation, renewable energy media & publishing and the second largest European harbour. easyJet expects to bring 275,000 additional business and leisure visitors in Hamburg in the first year.

First Mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz:

"easyJet’s recent decisions strengthen both the Hamburg Airport and the aircraft manufacturing location Hamburg - the third largest after Seattle and Toulouse. The most recent decision of the airline to purchase new aircraft is good for Airbus. It is also good news for suppliers that are involved in aircraft manufacturing.

“easyJet’s decisions underscore the positive development that Hamburg is experiencing in regards to aviation. This development shows that it was the right decision of the Hamburg Senate in 2000 to invest in aviation in Hamburg and to give the aviation industry the importance it deserves.”

In Berlin, the additional aircraft will take the total based there to eight. It will mean 130,000 more passengers on the top of the four million passengers easyJet has carried on the last 12 months (a 9.5% increase on the previous year). The aircraft will allow easyJet to increase frequencies on popular business and leisure routes. At Summer 2014 passengers will have the choice of up to 635 flights per week.

These new flights will increase the connectivity of both cities with Europe, which is a key factor for economic growth.

Note to editors

About easyJet:

easyJet operates Europe’s No. 1 air transport network with a leading presence on Europe’s top 100 routes and at Europe’s 50 largest airports.

easyJet flies over 200 aircraft on more than 600 routes between over 130 airports in 30 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one hour’s drive of an easyJet airport, more than any other airline.

The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger’s carbon footprint is 22% less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route.

easyJet in Hamburg:

• easyJet is the 4th largest airline in Hamburg with 3.8% market share. With its base at summer 2014, its market share will increase to more than 10%.
• easyJet base will open at spring 2014 with 3 A319 operating around 15 new routes on the top of its 6 existing ones (Basle, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Rome FCO) and offering 525,000 additional seats in the first year of operation, doubling its passenger numbers to 1m.
• easyJet will offer business and leisure travellers the choice between around 170 flights per week at summer 2014.
• easyJet carried +525,000 passengers in the last 12 months (Sept. 2012-Aug. 2013), a 14.5% increase year over year.
• easyJet started operating in Hamburg in 2005 (from Basel) and since then has carried 2.7m passengers in total (as of September 2013).
• One in five of easyJet passengers in Hamburg travel for business

easyJet in Berlin:

• easyJet is the largest airline in Berlin Schoenefeld with +62% market share
• easyJet will add at spring 2014 one A319 to its existing fleet of 8 aircraft stationed in Berlin. The aircraft will operate additional frequencies on key routes and add a capacity of 130,000 seats in the first year of operation.
• easyJet operates 41 routes connecting Berlin and Europe and it will offer business and leisure travellers a choice of 635 flights per week at summer 2014.
• easyJet carried +4m passengers in the last 12 months (Sept. 2012-Aug. 2013) to/ from Berlin, a 9.5% increase year over year.
• easyJet Berlin base opened in 2004.

easyJet in Germany:

• easyJet is the 5th largest airline in Germany with 3.5% market share.
• easyJet operates a portfolio of 55 routes connecting Germany and Europe and it will offer business and leisure travellers the choice between 885 flights per week at summer 2014.
• easyJet operates from 7 Airports in Germany (Berlin, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Hamburg, Cologne/ Bonn, Dresden and Munich).
• easyJet carried 5,7m passengers in the last 12 months (Sept. 2012-Aug. 2013) to/ from Germany, a 2.5% increase year over year.
• easyJet started its operations in Germany in 1998 with the London Stansted-Munich flight.
• easyJet will have 2 two bases in Germany at Berlin and Hamburg at spring 2014.