BUDGET carrier easyJet has warned of some flight cancellations as it reduces summer flying throughout its network “to align capacity to demand”.

The company, which last week announced plans to close its base at Southend Airport, responded to a customer complaint that his flight had been cancelled from Southend Airport - in seven weeks time.

One angry passenger tweeted: “Great, easyJet has cancelled my flights, but it’s not until seven weeks’ time. How can they cancel it this early? Does this cement the theory that easyJet is quitting Southend Airport? I hope not.”

It follows an announcement by the airline that it may need to reduce staff numbers by up to a third because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Unite union said nearly 1,300 UK crew members faced losing their jobs.

Echo: easyJet

A spokesman for easyJet said the company was revising some summer flights but stressed this was not down to the current consultation with staff.

He said: “We are currently reducing some summer flying across all of our network in order to align capacity to demand and therefore have had to make some cancellations.

“We are not making cancellations because of the consultation which is currently ongoing.

“Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and informed of their options which includes transferring to an alternative flight free of charge, receiving a voucher or applying for a refund via a webform on our dedicated Covid Help Hub at easyJet.com.”

Ryanair's ongoing confidence in Southend Airport

Budget airline Ryanair has boosted Southend Airport with a raft of new flights just days after easyJet quit.

Ryanair revealed its new destinations this summer in a move which confirms the airport is back in business following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new destinations are Bergerac and Marseille, both in France, Girona, in Spain, Bucharest, in Romania, and Vilnius, in Lithuania.

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A Southend Airport spokesman said: “We were pleased to welcome the return of Ryanair flights on July 1 and continue to service routes to these passengers. Currently there are 16 routes available from Ryanair at London Southend Airport with several new destinations announced.”

The airport is in talks with easyJet about the future.

A spokesman said: “Southend Airport is uniquely positioned to respond to the requirements of safe, socially distanced travel as well as having a direct rail route from central London.

“As such the airport continues to be a convenient and, as a result of the investment which is already under way, increasingly desirable airport for many passengers, particularly those based in London and the South East.”