Easyjet has outlined plans to reduce its schedules during the latest national lockdown, although it will continue to operate between key UK cities, as well as on a “small number of international routes”.

During the first Covid-19 lockdown last year, the low-cost carrier grounded all flights between the end of March and mid-June, but this time round it will maintain “essential connectivity between key cities in the UK, including domestic services from London, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Belfast and Scotland”.

Selected international routes will also continue beyond January 10, from London Gatwick to Lanzarote, Malaga, Alicante, Funchal, Geneva, Milan and Tenerife.

A spokesperson said that “Customers who are currently abroad and whose return flights are cancelled have been notified and provided with clear guidance on how to transfer free of charge to an alternative flight back to the UK online via Manage Booking or the Easyjet app”.

The carrier also provided Business Traveller with the following statement:

“Following the UK Government’s announcement, we have been required to further reduce our flying programme with the view to maintaining essential connectivity between key cities in the UK, including domestic services from London, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Belfast and Scotland, alongside a small number of international routes.

“We will be operating flights up to and including January 10 focused on repatriating any customers who need to return to the UK. We urge customers needing to return to transfer onto these flights as soon as possible as options to travel after this date will be reduced.

“We are contacting customers whose flights are cancelled with their options and all customers unable to travel as a result of the lockdown restrictions, whether their flights are cancelled or scheduled to operate, can transfer their flights to a later date for free, or receive a voucher or a refund.

“Given the ongoing impact of the pandemic on travel, we continue to call for sector specific support such as has been provided to hospitality, where decisions have directly affected their ability to trade.  The same principle should be applied to aviation.

“It is clear that testing will continue to be important to keeping people moving when travel is possible and we continue to push for work to be done on the efficacy of rapid testing technologies like antigen and LAMP testing making it easier, less expensive and less onerous for customers.

“Alongside the welcome roll-out of the vaccine, this will play a vital role in enabling normal life to resume; including travelling again for work, to visit friends and family, or for a much-needed holiday.”

easyjet.com