According to EasyJet’s CEO, the airline has noticed “some softening” in reservations due to concerns over the new Covid version.
However, Johan Lundgren told the BBC that it was too soon to judge the entire impact, stating, “We need to see how things calm down.”
He also stated that bookings for next summer will be mostly unaffected, with high pent-up demand expected to witness a rebound to levels seen before to the epidemic in 2019.
New travel regulations have been imposed as a result of the Omicron version.
Long-haul airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were immediately impacted by the new strain, which arose in South Africa.
However, if the virus spreads, there is concern that short-haul European carriers, such as EasyJet, would be affected.
Mr. Lundgren told the BBC’s Today programme that his airline had not experienced the same impact on reservations as it had in the past when limits were imposed.
The majority of the client booking adjustments, he claimed, was people postponing visits until early next year.
Mr. Lundgren said he was in favour of resuming the “red list” travel restrictions as soon as possible, but “there’s a question mark” about “blanket PCR testing” for infection.
EasyJet said on Monday that its fee-free rebooking policy will be extended until March 2022.
Mr. Lundgren said that the airline’s reorganisation amid the collapse of air transport during the epidemic put it in a good position to deal with any future disruptions.
The airline, which has trimmed expenses and prioritised the most profitable flights, said the winter season has started off well.
EasyJet said in a financial statement on Tuesday that revenue booked for the second half of the financial year was higher than in 2019. The airline is adding 25 aircraft to its fleet, including new slots at Gatwick, Porto, Lisbon, and Milan’s Linate airports.
