easyJet strengthens its Italian strategy

18th Jun 2015 13:18

easyJet said on Thursday that it is strengthening its Italian strategy by expanding its bases at Milan Malpensa and Naples and opening a new base in Venice.Milan Malpensa is already easyJet's second largest base with 18 aircraft and will receive three more from April 2016, providing over 100 new jobs for pilots and cabin crew. This will strengthen easyJet's existing status as the largest airline at Milan Malpensa.The budget airline currently bases three aircraft in Naples and will base one more plane from there from April 2016, providing 35 more jobs for pilots and cabin crew.It will also open a base at Venice Marco Polo Airport starting from April 2016, with four Airbus aircraft based there, creating 150 local jobs for pilots and cabin crew.The company noted that its Rome Fumicino base is delivering lower returns than its other bases and the new services and routes which will be operated as a result of this redeployment will better match easyJet's customers' needs and deliver higher returns for the airline.As a result of the redeployment, easyJet will cease basing crew and aircraft at Fiumicino from April 2016. There will be no job losses though, as easyJet will be offering Fiumicino-based crew a transfer to our other Italian bases.The company also said on Thursday that it will open a new base in Barcelona from February 2016, with three Airbus aircraft based there.At 13:30, the shares were down 0.3% at 1,541p.