easyJet 'will feel more like a start-up' after European travel bans are lifted: Founder

easyJet founder and shareholder and easyGroup owner Stelios Haji-Ioannou, commenting on potential travel demand scenarios in relation to COVID-19 in summer 2020, stated (06-Apr-2020) "Almost every country in Europe has now closed its borders to foreigners...Nobody really knows when they will open again". Mr Haji-Ioannou argued most European countries "will want to keep others out for much longer than the date that their own local national lockdown ends". He concluded that assumptions of easyJet resuming normal operations by Jun-2020 and return to full capacity by Oct-2020 are "wildly optimistic" and said the airline "will feel more like a start-up trying to find a few profitable routes for a few aircraft at a time" after travel bans are lifted. [more - original PR]