LCC set for year on year profit.

UK budget carrier EasyJet is forecasting an underlying pre-tax profit for the full year of £25-50 million ($41-82 million), despite uncertainty over the economic situation.

EasyJet chief Andy Harrison, in a third-quarter interim statement, says the carrier's performance has been "resilient" over the three-month period.

"We expect to be one of the few airlines to make a profit this year," he adds.

Revenue during the third quarter, which ended on 30 June, was up 12% to £721 million. Per-seat revenue rose by almost 11% to £51.42, and overall revenue per passenger increased by 9.3%.

Operating costs per seat, excluding fuel, rose by 11.3% but EasyJet says that, adjusting for currency effects, the increase was 1.8%.

Passenger numbers were up by nearly 3% to 11.9 million for the period, and load factor rose slightly to 84.7%.

"In a difficult and uncertain market, EasyJet continues to perform in line with previous guidance for the year," says the carrier.

But August is an "important" month, says the airline, and the final end-September financial results will also depend on performance of late yields and the euro-sterling exchange rate.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news