Low-cost carrier easyJet is already looking beyond a jittery summer to announce an ambitious winter 2026 schedule, unveiled on 28 April and updated on 29 April. Nine new routes will originate from six French bases, boosting both domestic connectivity and access to winter-sun markets. Highlights include Bordeaux–Malaga, Bordeaux–Gran Canaria and Bordeaux–Agadir; Nantes–Essaouira and Nantes–Brussels; Nice–Cairo and Nice–Lyon; a second daily Paris CDG–Cairo flight; and a new twice-weekly Paris CDG–Southampton link operating Thursdays and Sundays from late October to March. EasyJet’s French network has become pivotal since rival Ryanair trimmed secondary-airport operations last year. Securing coveted traffic rights to Cairo is a notable coup, opening fresh leisure and corporate flows between France and Egypt. The routes also diversify options for multinationals with dispersed French sites, enabling same-day domestic meetings without connecting via Paris. Tickets are already on sale, and early booking is advised amid fuel-price volatility. Travel managers should note that Nice-Cairo and Paris-Cairo flights provide convenient onward links to Gulf and East-African destinations via EgyptAir codeshares, potentially lowering overall trip costs compared with Paris hub itineraries. While the schedule assumes a ‘return to normal’ by winter, easyJet cautioned that capacity could still be flexed if fuel shortages persist. Organisations should lock in refundable fares or negotiate corporate waivers to safeguard budgets.
Source: The Connexion
