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LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - British budget airline easyJet
on Tuesday said it would become the world's first major
airline to operate net-zero carbon flights across its whole
network by offsetting the emissions from flying.
The airline said that it would cost around 25 million pounds
($32.42 million) to offset the emissions in the next financial
year through schemes to plant trees or avoid the release of
additional carbon dioxide, though Chief Executive Johan Lundgren
said that longer-term solutions were also needed.
"We recognise that offsetting is only an interim measure,
but we want to take action on our carbon emissions now," he
said.
The announcement came as it reported full-year results for
the year ending Sept. 30 in line with previous guidance.
EasyJet said headline profit before tax was 427 million
pounds, compared to guidance last month of a figure of between
420 million pounds and 430 million pounds. That was down 26% due
to rising fuel prices and a tough operating environment.
The airline said that forward bookings for the first half of
the 2020 financial year were "reassuring" and slightly ahead of
last year, reiterating that capacity growth would be towards the
lower end of historic guidance between 3% and 8%.
The company said that easyJet Holidays would launch in
Britain before Christmas, and would breakeven in the year to
September 2020.
It added that it expected to fly routes from airport
take-off and landing slots at Gatwick and Bristol, acquired in
the wake of the collapse of travel firm Thomas Cook, as early as
February 2020.
($1 = 0.7712 pounds)
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Kate Holton)
