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EasyJet boss hits out over French air traffic walkouts / Photo: Thibaud MORITZ - AFP/File
EasyJet boss hits out over French air traffic walkouts
The boss of British no-frills airline EasyJet on Thursday bemoaned "unacceptable challenges" for staff and passengers resulting from strike action by air traffic controllers in France earlier this month.
Chief executive Kenton Jarvis said the two days of stoppages "created unexpected and significant costs for all airlines", with EasyJet taking a hit of around £15 million ($20 million).
The carrier, however, remained on course for "good" full-year profit growth despite "recent higher fuel costs", it said in an earnings statement that showed EasyJet grew pre-tax profits in its third quarter.
Strikes by French air traffic controllers in early July brought chaos to European skies, with flights for hundreds of thousands of people cancelled as the summer holiday season gathered pace.
EasyJet, which flies mainly across Europe, said Thursday that its pre-tax profit jumped by 21 percent to £286 million in the three months to the end of June, compared with one year earlier.
Revenue climbed more than 10 percent to £2.9 billion, it added.
B.Mercier--PS
