EasyJet grounds entire fleet due to coronavirus pandemic

As reported in the national press, the airline, which operates flights out of Gatwick Airport, made the decision due to ‘unprecedented travel restrictions’ as the Covid-19 virus spreads worldwide.

Its crew have been placed on a two-month leave of absence, according to national reports.

In the national press, the airline said: “As a result of the unprecedented travel restrictions imposed by governments in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the implementation of national lockdowns across many European countries, easyJet has, today, fully grounded its entire fleet of aircraft.

“Over recent days easyJet has been helping to repatriate customers, having operated more than 650 rescue flights to date, returning home more than 45,000 customers.

“The last of these rescue flights were operated on Sunday, March 29. We will continue to work with government bodies to operate additional rescue flights as requested.

“At this stage there can be no certainty of the date for restarting commercial flights. We will continuously evaluate the situation based on regulations and demand, and will update the market when we have a view.”