EasyJet plc styled as easyJet is a British multinational low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport. Since its establishment in , EasyJet has expanded through a combination of acquisitions , [ 6 ] [ 7 ] and base openings fuelled by consumer demand for low-cost air travel. It has 29 bases across Europe, the largest being Gatwick. EasyJet was featured in the television series Airline , broadcast on ITV β , which followed the airline's operations in London Luton and later at other bases.
Its pilot training scheme was the subject of another ITV television series, easyJet: Inside the Cockpit , which premiered in August EasyJet has its roots in the business activity of Greek - Cypriot Stelios Haji-Ioannou , who reportedly gained an interest in the aviation business after being approached as a potential investor in Virgin Atlantic 's Greek franchisee. This principle became a cornerstone of EasyJet's operations. In , EasyJet was established by Stelios, being the first company in what would later become the EasyGroup conglomerate.
Upon launch, it employed just 70 people; the company is based at London Luton Airport , which was traditionally used only by charter flights. These were flown on two routes: Luton to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Early on, EasyJet operated as a paper airline , the aircraft themselves being flown and maintained under a lease.
Early promotional activity focused on the airline's relatively low pricing compared to incumbent operators. In April , the first wholly owned aircraft was delivered to EasyJet, enabling the company's first international route, to Amsterdam , which was operated in direct competition with rival airlines British Airways BA and Dutch flag carrier KLM. The airline was renamed EasyJet Switzerland and commenced franchise services on 1 April , having relocated its headquarters to Geneva Airport.
Geneva was EasyJet's first new base outside the United Kingdom. In , the airline opened its base at Gatwick Airport. Between and , it opened additional bases in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, establishing a presence in continental Europe.
