EasyJet said it had halved its losses at the start of the winter season, as the low-cost airline was boosted by lower fuel costs and more people travelling over the Christmas period. The FTSE 100 group on Wednesday reported a pre-tax loss of £61mn for the three months to December, down from £126mn in the same period a year earlier.

By Joanna Plucinska and Yadarisa Shabong (Reuters) -British airline easyJet reported a smaller first-quarter operating loss on Wednesday on easing fuel costs and strong passenger demand for travel and its holiday packages.

The FTSE 100 company reported its headline pre-tax losses slumped by 52 per cent to £61million in the three months ending December.