EasyJet to offset carbon emissions from all flights by planting trees

EasyJet has said it is going to become the first airline in the world to operate net-zero carbon flights through offsetting emissions made by its planes by, among other things, planting trees.

The budget airline said it would invest around £25m over the next financial year in activities including "forestry, renewable and community based projects".

EasyJet promised to support the development of hybrid and electric planes and help "reinvent and de-carbonise aviation over the long-term".

Chief executive Johan Lundgren said the additional cost will not be recouped by increasing ticket prices and admitted longer-term solutions were key.

"We recognise that offsetting is only an interim measure, but we want to take action on our carbon emissions now," he said.

The company said the programme will complement its existing carbon reduction schemes including moving to "more modern, fuel efficient planes; flying them in order to avoid noise and an unnecessary use of fuel; and maximising passenger loads as much as possible".

The announcement came as the firm announced its full-year profits fell by more than a quarter to £427m, a drop it blamed on rising fuel prices and a tough operating environment.

It plans to take advantage of the gap in the market left by the demise of Thomas Cook by relaunching its own package holiday business in Britain before Christmas.

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About 20 million people fly with EasyJet to Europe annually but only 500,000 book accommodation through it.

It said it expected to fly routes from Gatwick and Bristol, acquired in the wake of the collapse of the travel firm and for the new business to break even in the year to September 2020.