easyJet reported a pre-tax loss of £552m for the six months to 31 March and said summer holiday bookings were trailing the previous year as the Middle East conflict weighed on consumer confidence. The airline said it intended to operate its full summer schedule as planned and did not expect to cancel any further flights.

The half-year loss widened from £394m in the same period a year earlier. easyJet typically makes most of its profit in the second half of the year, which includes the peak summer period. Holiday package customer numbers rose 22% in the six months to March compared with a year earlier.

The carrier spent an unexpected additional £25m on jet fuel in March after the start of the US-Israel war on Iran. easyJet raised its minimum ticket fare in response to higher fuel costs and said it was actively reviewing all of its discretionary costs. The company has hedged 72% of its fuel needs for the next six months to the end of September and temporarily suspended short-term hedging due to elevated near-term fuel prices.

"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," the airline said, adding that customers remained reluctant to book far ahead and many were waiting until the month of departure to commit to travelling. easyJet reviewed its summer flight schedule in March following the conflict's outbreak, resulting in a 0.3% net reduction in available seats, before deciding to operate the full programme.

"Despite conflict in the Middle East creating near-term uncertainty, easyJet is well placed to manage the current environment, supported by one of the strongest investment-grade balance sheets in European aviation," chief executive Kenton Jarvis said. "EasyJet is not seeing any disruption to fuel supply, we continue to operate normally and our customers should book with confidence," Jarvis said. He added that fuel supplies were diversifying. "Fuel supplies are diversifying, we are seeing more production in the Americas and Norway," he said.

Jarvis urged European airports to use the flexibility granted by the European Commission to help passengers avoid long border queues during the bank holiday weekend and school half-term break in parts of the UK. Travellers have faced lengthy delays at border checks because of the EU entry-exit system that came into effect in early April. "It is really inexcusable," Jarvis said, advising passengers to arrive at the airport in good time.