EasyJet set to vacate middle seats on resuming flights

EasyJet will likely keep its middle seats empty once flights resume to maintain social distancing triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the British no-frills airline said Thursday.

"I expect that to happen," chief executive Johan Lundgren told reporters when questioned about the current financial health of EasyJet, which has grounded all commercial flights because of COVID-19.

"That is something that we will do because I think that is something that the customers would like to see," he added.

"Then we will work out with the authorities and listen to the customers' views and points on what they believe is the right thing to do." Most EasyJet aircraft are configured with three seats on each aisle.

"I'm talking about this as an initial phase," said Lundgren in reference to the seating plan.

"Nobody knows for how long that phase will be. We're also looking at various disinfection programmes on the aircraft, we're in discussions with (European aviation safety regulator) EASA if there are other additional measures we should take.

"I think it's important that customers understand that we are taking this very seriously and first and foremost our concern is about the customers' well-being and our people's well-being." Lundgren spoke after EasyJet said it expected a pre-tax loss of between ?185 million and ?205 million ($228 million and $252 million) for the six months to March 31.

That would mark an improvement after a ?275-million loss in the same period a year earlier.

The group's first-half performance was aided by cost-cutting, new finance initiatives and the deferral of aircraft purchases. Airlines reporting over this six-month period and who fly across the northern hemisphere tend to post first-half losses because it covers the winter months, when demand is traditionally weak. Lundgren described EasyJet's first-half performance as "very strong prior to the impact of coronavirus".