history

15 years of continued success

1995

easyJet founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Inaugural flights go from Luton to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

1996

easyJet takes delivery of its first wholly-owned aircraft and goes international with flights to Amsterdam from Luton.

1997

easyJet launches easyJet.com to provide information on the airline. Four years later the airline sells its 10 millionth online seat.

1998

easyJet buys 40% of Swiss charter operation, TEA Basel AG, later renamed ‘easyJet Switzerland’.

1999

The first series of ‘Airline’, which follows the lives of easyJet’s staff and passengers, is shown on ITV, regularly attracting over 10 million viewers.

2000

easyJet floats on the London Stock Exchange at an offer price of 310p, valuing the Company at £777m. Shortly after, easyJet joins the FTSE 250 list of companies.

2001

easyJet makes Gatwick its fifth base and becomes the second largest scheduled airline at the airport.

2002

easyJet purchases Stansted-based low-cost airline Go (which had originally been set up by British Airways) to create Europe’s number one air transport network.

2003

The first Airbus A319 goes into service in Geneva, 12 months after the deal to purchase up to 240 aircraft was announced.

2004

The airline becomes the first to take advantage of the newly-enlarged European Union by starting flights to Hungary and Slovenia.

2005

easyJet takes delivery of its 100th aircraft. It’s a monumental change from the two leased aircraft it started with 10 years previously.

2006

Speedy Boarding is introduced, giving passengers greater choice over their seating arrangements.

2007

easyJet moved to its new headquarters in an aircraft hangar at Luton airport.

2008

easyJet completes the acquisition of GB Airways, a London Gatwick-based airline operating to destinations across Southern Europe and North Africa.

2009

easyJet truly becomes a pan European airline, operating over 400 routes with over 175 aircraft in 27 countries. For the first time, over 50% of easyJet’s passengers originate from outside the UK.

2010

easyJet reaffirms its strategy of 'Turning Europe Orange'.