"EasyJet drops costliest airport from its network"

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

EasyJet to cut Zurich from airport network

 
LONDON (Reuters) - EasyJet says it will stop flying to Zurich, blaming
higher passenger fees and operating restrictions at the Swiss airport.

The low-cost airline, which faces declining fare prices and high fuel
costs, said on Wednesday it would launch a new twice-daily Switzerland
service to a cheaper airport base at Basel.

"No airline likes to remove services from its network, but our focus on
enhancing margins and reducing costs is relentless," Chief Executive Ray
Webster said in a statement.

EasyJet, which operates out of a low-cost base at Luton, said passenger
fees at Zurich had risen 132 percent in the last two years, making it
the airline's most expensive network.

Other low-cost carriers such as Dublin-based Ryanair are also
complaining about airport charges as they seek to cut costs due to
intense competition and rising fuel costs.

EasyJet said it was talking to other airports about future services.

Shares in the airline were down 1.1 percent at 141-1/2 pence in a lower
broader market.


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