EasyJet, along with other European airlines and travel firms, experienced a surge in demand after Boris Johnson confirmed new travel rules.
The Prime Minister said that the Government taskforce would produce a report by April 12 recommending how international travel can resume for people in the UK. Foreign trips could be permitted from May 17.
In the hours after the announcement, EasyJet said bookings for flights from the UK for the summer season surged more than 335 per cent compared with the same period last week.
Similarly, bookings for EasyJet holidays also increased by 630 per cent. EasyJet has offered more new routes and holiday destinations for the summer. In a statement, EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said:
“We have consistently seen that there is pent-up demand for travel and this surge in bookings shows that this signal from the Government that it plans to reopen travel has been what UK consumers have been waiting for.”
He added: “While the summer may be a little while off, we will be working around the clock to ensure we will be ready to ramp up our flights to reconnect friends and family or take them on a long-awaited holiday to remember.”
Beach resorts including Dalaman in Turkey, Malaga, Alicante and Palma in Spain, Faro in Portugal and the Greek island of Crete are the most popular destinations for this summer among EasyJet’s destination.