Larnaca, Cyprus. Aircraft maintenance firm Bird Aviation has signed a long-term agreement with low-cost airline easyJet to provide scheduled aircraft maintenance services at its facilities in Larnaca. The agreement will initially run for seven years, with an option for a further three-year extension.
Maintenance agreement
The contract covers two maintenance lines dedicated to scheduled heavy maintenance checks for easyJet’s Airbus A320 family aircraft, with all work to be carried out at Bird Aviation’s facilities in Cyprus.
Bird Aviation said the agreement builds on its long-standing relationship with easyJet and provides a stable framework for the continued delivery of heavy maintenance services.
The company added that the deal would reinforce the role of its Larnaca facilities in supporting easyJet’s fleet maintenance programme in the coming years and strengthen Cyprus’ position as a regional aviation maintenance hub.
easyJet financial outlook
The announcement comes as easyJet faces a more challenging financial environment despite reporting improving booking trends during the peak summer travel season.
The airline said its pre-tax profit fell 70 per cent in the April-to-June quarter, to £85 million from £286 million a year earlier.
EasyJet attributed the decline largely to a £105 million increase in fuel costs after hostilities in the Middle East erupted in late February and drove energy prices sharply higher.
The airline also said passengers had increasingly delayed booking travel until shortly before departure, affecting revenue patterns. It said bookings had begun to improve, but warned that its outlook for the rest of the financial year depended on remaining bookings and fuel prices, which it described as volatile.