easyJet released it’s trading update this morning, where a blockbuster order with Airbus has been revealed within this.
This was covered extensively in length on Pages 15 and 16 of their presentation, where the order will be used for fleet renewal and slow and steady growth.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
easyJet Reveals Blockbuster Airbus Order in Trading Update…
As an overview, before this blockbuster order, easyJet had a firm order of 158 aircraft, with all of them due to be delivered by 2028.
This consisted of 90 A320neo aircraft and 68 Airbus A321neo jets, and was 33 originally prior to conversion agreement as part of their proposed aircraft purchase.
Such an order was utilised to replace it’s older A319 and A320ceo aircraft as well as to move the average gauge from 179 seats to the low 190s, and would provide capacity growth to the financial year of 2028.
However, on Page 16 of the trading update, it talks about a proposed aircraft purchase, of which this would consist of 157 firm orders as well as options for 100 more jets on top of that.
This would break down as 56 Airbus A320neos and 101 A321neos for easyJet, with the expectation that this will be approved within this calendar year.
Deliveries from this new order would mean that new aircraft would be delivered between the financial years 2029-2034, highlighting a 10-year plan for fleet renewal and capacity upgrades.
This would move the average gauge from the low 190s as seen in the previous order to the low 200s.
In total, easyJet would have around 315 Airbus aircraft on order, with 100 purchase rights, that would take the airline all the way to FY2034.
A Theme of Long-Term Planning Emerging in the Industry?
As we approach the end of 2023, and move into 2024, a theme is beginning to develop, not just from the perspective of easyJet, but for large airlines as a whole.
Now that we have moved out of the COVID-19 pandemic in its entirety nearly, this is giving airlines the confidence to move away from short-term thinking, but more into the long-term side of things.
For example, back in May, Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair did something similar by ordering 300 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, that would take their deliveries long into 2033.
This order would help the carrier get to 300 million passengers per year by 2034, which again highlights the scope in how much they want to grow over the next 10 years.
Another major example came earlier this month when United Airlines made a top-up order for 110 aircraft from both Airbus & Boeing.
The airline highlighted that because of this top-up order, a staggering 800 aircraft would be delivered between now and 2032.
Overall…
Overall, this is yet again another significant investment expected to be made by easyJet for more Airbus aircraft.
Fleet renewal is a major aspect behind this, but they have found the fine balance between this and overall capacity growth up to FY2034.
Orders and expansion plans like this give off the right signal that the industry needs in terms of having the confidence to think beyond the short-term, and now that COVID isn’t much of a thing anymore, this is what is inspiring these decisions.
All eyes will be on the airline to see if they can get the approval off shareholders to make this investment, as well as the overall order announcement that will no doubt come with that in due course.
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