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		</div><p>EasyJet expects to keep its middle seats empty when it resumes flying to enable social distancing.</p>
<p>Chief executive Johan Lundgren said the measure is aimed at encouraging passengers to fly after the coronavirus pandemic recedes.</p>
<p>He told reporters: <em>“I expect that to happen. That is something that we will do because I think that is something that the customers would like to see.</em></p>
<p><em>“Then we will work out with the authorities and listen to the customers’ views and points on what they believe is the right thing to do, particularly in the start-up period.”</em></p>
<p>The majority of easyJet aircraft are configured with mainly three seats in a row, either side of the aisle.</p>
<p>The change would involve passengers in window and aisle seats having an empty seat next to them.</p>
<p>Mr Lundgren said it will be possible to keep middle seats empty as <em>“our assumption is that load factors will not get back to normal early on”</em>.</p>
<p>He went on: <em>“I’m talking about this as an initial phase. Nobody knows for how long that phase will be.</em></p>
<p><em>“We’re also looking at various disinfection programmes on the aircraft, we’re in discussions with Easa (the European aviation safety regulator) if there are other additional measures we should take.</em></p>
<p><em>“I think it’s important that customers understand that we are taking this very seriously and first and foremost our concern is about the customers’ well-being and our people’s well-being.</em></p>
<p><em>“That is what’s going to take priority in this whole thing, because that is the way you get the confidence back with people taking flights again.”</em></p>
<p>Mr Lundgren did not speculate on the financial impact of the measure, but low-cost airlines often rely on filling planes to make flights profitable.</p>
<p>EasyJet said it is set to report underlying pre-tax losses of between £185 million and £205 million for the six months to March 31, against losses of £275 million a year earlier.</p>
<p>But the airline added said statutory pre-tax losses of up to £380 million are expected due to a hit of as much as £185 million for fuel and foreign exchange hedging costs.</p>
<p>The group’s planes were fully grounded on March 30, but it said more than half of disrupted passengers had chosen vouchers or alternative flights, meaning that bookings for winter are <em>“well ahead”</em> of the previous year.</p>
<p>EasyJet shares jumped as much as 13% in early trade as the update showed a strong performance before the crisis and as it reassured over the group’s financial strength to weather the lockdown.</p>
<p>Mr Lundgren described the airline’s first-half trading performance as <em>“very strong prior to the impact of coronavirus”</em>.</p>
<p>He said the firm’s cost-cutting initiative has <em>“dramatically brought down our cash burn”</em>, through measures such as the grounding its fleet and deferring the delivery of 24 new Airbus aircraft.</p>
<p>He also criticised recent demands by easyJet’s founder and largest shareholder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, for the carrier to cancel its entire £4.5 billion order with the plane-maker.</p>
<p><em>“Clearly it’s not helpful,”</em> Mr Lundgren said.<em> “It’s a distraction on what we’re doing. But myself, the team and the board, we’re absolutely focused on managing through this time.</em></p>
<p><em>“This is one of the worst crises that aviation has ever seen.”</em></p>
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