EasyJet has revealed first-half losses are expected to narrow by more than £50 million after this year’s early Easter helped offset a hit from the Israel-Hamas conflict. In an update on its half-year performance, the group said it is on track for headline pre-tax losses of £340 million to £360 million in the six months to March 31, against losses of £411 million a year earlier. The airline said demand has bounced back since late November, with half-year figures also boosted by the start of the Easter holidays falling in March this year. It comes in spite of a “direct impact” of around £40 million in the six months to the end of March due to the war between Israel and Hamas. This relates to the suspension of flights to Israel and Jordan, alongside a softening of demand for trips to Egypt since the conflict began in October. EasyJet said earlier this week that it is suspending flights to Tel Aviv for the next six months after Iran’s missile and drone attack against Israel at the weekend. Between October and March, passengers numbers were up 8% year on year, while average fares paid increased by 9%. Seasonal demand for air...