EasyJet to expand market share in France, Germany

[LONDON] EasyJet, Europe's No 2 discount airline, is consolidating its position in France and Germany even as full-service rivals Air France-KLM Group and Deutsche Lufthansa rush to establish their own low-cost footprint.

The UK carrier aims to expand its market share in France by one percentage point each year from 14 per cent today. A new base in Hamburg will boost the number of aircraft flying out of Germany, Europe's biggest economy, to 12 by next year, by which time the carrier will run 243 routes to and from the two countries.

"We are shaking the tree," French regional director Francoise Bacchetta said in an interview at EasyJet's headquarters in Luton near London. Consumers have "long-term habits from dealing with the same operator".