{"text":[[{"start":6.75,"text":"EasyJet has raised ticket prices to combat higher fuel costs as it reported a drop-off in customer bookings for the crucial summer season."}],[{"start":14.6,"text":"Some 58 per cent of its flights between April and September had been sold by the end of March, down 2 percentage points from the same period a year earlier, as passengers delayed booking over concerns around jet fuel supply caused by the Iran conflict. "}],[{"start":29.85,"text":"The airline booked a pre-tax loss of £552mn for the six months ending March 31, in the middle of the £540mn-£560mn range it had outlined in a profit warning last month. Revenues rose 12 per cent to £3.9bn, the carrier reported on Thursday."}],[{"start":50.6,"text":"“We continue to see positive late bookings since the conflict began, however overall bookings for the summer period are behind where they were at this point last year,” said easyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis. "}],[{"start":64.55,"text":"The business had raised the minimum ticket price and was holding an “active review of all discretionary costs”, it said."}],[{"start":71.6,"text":"The company flagged a fuel price hit of about £200mn for the summer. It has hedged 72 per cent of the fuel it needs for the season at $726 per metric tonne. The spot price for jet fuel was $1,350 this week, the company said, adding that every $100 move in the price costs the company about £35mn. "}],[{"start":95.3,"text":"However, it stressed it had enough fuel, despite previous warnings from airports and energy groups that Europe might suffer shortages. "}],[{"start":103.89999999999999,"text":"Earlier this week, Ryanair became the latest airline to suspend guidance because of the uncertainty over the coming months."}],[{"start":118.7,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779352918_7334.mp3"}