EasyJet to strip seats from planes to tackle staffing crisis ahead of summer
8 May 2022, 20:35 | Updated: 8 May 2022, 20:37
EasyJet is set to remove seats on its flights in a bid to tackle staff shortages, ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer for the airline.
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The move will enable flights to go ahead with less crew as the Civil Aviation Authority bases its requirements on the number of crew members needed per flight on the number of passengers flying.
By removing the back row of seats on its A319 planes, the budget airline will be able to fly with three crew members instead of four.
However, it will limit the number of passengers per flight to 150.
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In a statement, easyJet said it was an "effective way" of operating its fleet over the summer months.
"This summer we will be operating our UK A319 fleet with a maximum of 150 passengers onboard and three crew in line with CAA regulations," it read.
"This is an effective way of operating our fleet while building additional resilience and flexibility into our operation this summer where we expect to be back to near 2019 levels of flying."
It comes after several European airlines, including easyJet, were forced to cancel thousands of flights in the lead-up to Easter, causing travel chaos for holidaymakers hoping to make the most of their breaks.
The airline expects to operate "near" pre-pandemic levels of flying this summer.
It operated at 80 per cent of 2019 capacity in the first three months of this year.
