EasyJet threatens to axe UK flights and blames Rachel Reeves’ budget

EasyJet threatens to chopped flights aft fund announcement (Image: Getty)

EasyJet is cutting its home formation docket successful a determination that volition chiefly interaction services betwixt London, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the incoming CEO has confirmed.

It comes aft Rachel Reeves hiked the complaint of aerial rider work (APD) paid by airlines successful her autumn budget, meaning an system summons for a short-haul formation volition outgo up to £2 much from 2026.

Kenton Jarvis, existent concern main and soon-to-be main enforcement of the company, is besides preparing for a £13 cardinal interaction from Ms Reeves' nationalist security hike, but the APD emergence volition beryllium adjacent much damaging, he told The Telegraph.

"We were truly blessed erstwhile the authorities said they were pro-growth and I recognize wherefore they privation to summation things similar the nationalist wage," Mr Jarvis said. "But the APD is truly disappointing.

"Fundamentally, it's precisely what they said they didn't privation to do, which is to taxation the moving person."

The cuts volition chiefly interaction journeys betwixt London, Scotland and Northern Ireland (Image: Getty)

He said flights would beryllium reduced betwixt London and the different UK capitals successful effect to a "dampened demand" sparked by the taxation change.

Ryanair besides confirmed earlier this period that it was axing UK-based flights by 10%, the equivalent of 5 cardinal passengers, pursuing the fund decision.

Airline main Michael O'Leary slammed the determination arsenic "idiotic" and said the chancellor had "no hint however to present maturation successful the UK economy".

The argumentation besides means that backstage pitchy users volition spot a 50% hike successful APD.

In her fund speech, Rachel Reeves said: "Air rider work has not kept up with ostentation successful caller years truthful we are introducing an adjustment."

The work was brought successful by then-chancellor Kenneth Clarke successful 1994 to guarantee airlines were paying their just stock of tax.