EasyJet cuts 1.4 million winter seats as warning issued over flight prices

EasyJet has confirmed it will be increasing its winter reductions from 700,000 to 1.4 million between October 2026 and March 2027.

According to a report from the Financial Times, Chief Executive Kenton Jarvis confirmed the move, saying the budget airline was eyeing up ways to cut back on costs now that peak holiday season had ended in Europe.

"People are taking capacity out, we see that across all competitors," Jarvis noted, adding that he wasn't surprised by the move, given the fact that jet fuel costs had doubled since the start of the US-Iran war.

"I honestly think it’s been quite a surprise for the industry that fuel has stayed as high as it is."

With its aircraft having the capacity for 181 passengers, EasyJet's decision to cut 1.4 million seats means a reduction of approximately 7,700 routes this winter.

Ryanair is also cutting back on flights this winter (Getty Stock Images)

The company typically operates 50 million seats during the winter period, with the reductions meaning they will now be running 48.6 million seats.

EasyJet isn't the only airline to scale back its operations during the colder months, with Ryanair previously announcing plans to axe two million seats due to rising jet fuel costs. According to a report from The Sun, this could work out at as many as 13,000 routes being axed.

The airline also announced that it had cut 10 percent of its operations to and from Germany over the winter months, per Travel Trade Journal. The scaled-back flight schedule primarily targets routes to destinations such as Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, both of which are popular summer destinations.

What happens if my flight is cancelled due to airline cutbacks?

Neither Ryanair nor EasyJet have confirmed the exact routes which are being axed or whether this will impact flights where seats have already been booked.

Responding to the report in a statement given to the Liverpool Echo, a spokesperson for EasyJet said that cancelled flights make up a 'tiny proportion of our flying programme'.

It's not currently clear how many or if any flights to or from the UK will be impacted (Getty Stock Images)

"We make any changes in advance and typically choose multi-daily frequency flights so customers can easily move to an alternative flight," the spokesperson added.

According to guidance from Citizens Advice, passengers with cancelled flights are entitled to either:

• a full refund - including other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking such as onward or return flights
• a replacement flight to get you to your destination.

LADbible has reached out to EasyJet and Ryanair for comment.