5: 5. Johan Lundgren CEO easyJet - Exclusive WTM 'Meet the Experts'

Johan Lundgren took over as CEO of easyJet in December 2017 and, since joining the airline, has set out a significant increase in investment in easyJet Holidays, showcased a series of initiatives to increase business passengers and revealed plans to introduce a new loyalty programme. In an exclusive one-to-one conversation, lead by industry expert John Strickland at WTM London, the new easyJet boss talks about his plans to harness the power of data to improve customer proposition, reduce costs and increase revenue, reaffirms the company’s commitment to increase the proportion of female pilots and also addresses how the company are planning to deal with challenges such as Brexit.

On this episode we explore:

-How in EasyJet – ‘what you see on the outside is also what you get on the inside’

-Why he joined EasyJet How easyJet has changed the way people travel Second biggest airline in Europe but with only 10% of the market

-Over 300 aircraft – big scale operation but an easy to understand model 

• Building on EasyJet’s strengths 

• How the head office in ‘the hangar’ is actually in a hangar! How easyJet has evolved over the years The ‘fantastic individuals’ he works with

-How easyJet has always focused on value 

• The good year-end financial results

-The changes in the competitive landscape in the current climate

-The demise of Monarch Changing market capacity

-The Air Berlin acquisition – game-changing their position in Germany

-Focusing on four core markets UK, France, Germany and Italy

-Addressing the potential impact of Brexit. 

• Their 29 bases around Europe Lufthansa disappointing end of year results Using resources and energy to ensure Berlin went very well operationally

-Brandenburg Airport opening

-Being in a strong position in Berlin

-Alitalia’s problems and whether any acquisition would make sense

-Focusing on short haul and primary airports 

• Milan being one of their biggest bases

-The challenge of strikes and Air Traffic Control strikes

• The impact of EU261 and strike compensation

-Not disputing people’s right to strike

-Protecting overflying in France and giving sufficient notification on strikes

-Paying to Euro Control for something that is not being delivery

-How Single European Skies would help

-How investment in data and technology could mitigate some consequences

-The airline group A4E and lack of protection for airlines

-The European Aviation Summit Delays would be eradicated if the European airspace issue were solved How flying around an extra 5% is ‘nonsense’

• The unknown impact of Brexit 

• easyJet’s base in Austria to reduce impact of Brexit

-How there are no winners with Brexit

-Open Skies of Europe flying in second and third countries to their market 

• How politicians will not be forgiven if airlines are halted after Brexit

-Punctuality challenges

-Focusing far more on data in their business 

• Billions of data points in the industry The unconstrained data that is available

-How the industry needs meaningful relationships with customers 90 million individuals on their database predicting demands before they happen

-How they can simulate different scheduling throughout the day – congestion points, collecting competitor data

-How they used data to help them cut down on fresh food waste by 20% - 800,000 fewer wasted sandwiches a year!

-Upgrading their sales with small changes – more G&T with Fever Tree. Tonic

-Future investment in aircraft – upsizing airplanes How larger planes allow them to grow within existing slots