EasyJet said its loss over the winter low season will shrink as the collapse of tour operator Thomas Cook pushes more customers its way. The stock rose 4.5%, after EasyJet said the shortfall for the six months through March is likely to be smaller than last year’s £275m (€322m) loss. EasyJet follows Ryanair in issuing positive guidance, after a difficult year forced a clutch of operators into bankruptcy, with Thomas Cook the highest-profile casualty. “With Thomas Cook, the Max and the rest, why not go faster?” Mr Lundgren is currently targeting a 3% seating increase over the year. Mr Lundgren said that three-quarters of seats in the first-half of the financial year have been booked, just over one percentage point ahead of the same time last year.

Source: Irish Examiner January 21, 2020 16:07 UTC