EasyJet has announced that it has suffered a loss before tax of £275 million in the first half of 2019, compared with £18 million in the same period last year.
EasyJet has pointed to rising costs, the impact of drone scares at Gatwick Airport and investments in operational resilience as the main factors in its widened losses.
"I am pleased that despite tougher trading conditions," Johan Lundgren, EasyJet chief executive, said. "We flew more than 41 million customers, up 13% on last year.
"Cost control remains a major priority for easyJet. Our focus is on efficiency and on innovation through data and we are on track to deliver more than £100m in cost savings during 2019."
Passenger numbers for its six month period, ending March 31, grew 13.3% to 41.6 million and capacity expanded by 14.5%.
The airline predicts capacity growth of around 7% year on year in the second half of the year.
EasyJet becomes the second UK-based airline in a week to announce that it has suffered losses - with Thomas Cook posting a £1.5 billion half-year loss in its latest financial results, which the group blamed on Brexit uncertainty.
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