It said on Tuesday that bookings jumped by 50% on the day there was positive news about a coronavirus vaccine.

Even so, the crisis has pushed the British airline till $1.68 billion annual loss, the first in its history.

European travel has bean at low levels for over eight months, and easy jets lost for the 12 months to the end of September showed the extent of the damage.

Despite this, Chief executive Johan Lundgren said the underlying demand for travel was strong.

We know that down the line people want to travel just by news of the vaccine, he told the BBC.

Lundgren also said on a call with reporters that he has written to the British prime minister toe offer the airlines help with using its planes to distribute the co vid 19 vaccine across the UK, easyJet's shares rose 45% last week, helped by the vaccine news, and its shares were up 1.6% in early deals on Tuesday.

Quarterly cash burn seen as a gauge by investors keen to see costs reduced also improved for the period.

The pandemic has crushed easyJet's finances, though, forcing it to take on more debt, tap shareholders for extra cash and sell dozens of its aircraft.

And with lockdowns in England, France and Germany.

EasyJet is currently flying at just 20% of planned capacity.

It said short term uncertainty was such that it could not provide any financial guidance.