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Business live
EasyJet says record summer ahead; Heathrow airport reports busiest day
Live  
EasyJet says record summer ahead; Heathrow airport reports busiest day
Live coverage of business, economics and financial markets as aviation industry reports stronger summer after Ryanair shock
Headlines
UK  
Surprise jump in number of people mainly using cash for daily spending
Surprise jump in number of people mainly using cash for daily spending
Food  
UK ice-cream and lolly prices up by more than 30%, analysis shows
Tesla  
Earnings almost halve as price cuts put pressure on profits
Alphabet  
Google parent company’s second-quarter earnings outpace expectations
Mortgages  
Fixed-rate deals below 4% back on sale in UK
Horizon scandal  
I felt slightly threatened at meeting with Post Office, ex-minister tells inquiry
Technology  
Meta launches open-source AI app ‘competitive’ with closed rivals
Transport  
West coast fares could rise to incentivise people ‘to not travel by rail’, UK watchdog says
Society  
Rachel Reeves must overhaul ‘perverse’ carer’s allowance rule, Martin Lewis says
Energy  
Ireland’s datacentres overtake electricity use of all urban homes combined
Japan  
Businesses consider charging tourists more amid surge in visitors
British berry growers  
Two-fifths could go bust by end of 2026, study finds
Football  
Premier League clubs accused of greed as total with gambling sponsors hits 11
NHS  
Finances so dire that whole service may collapse, says spending watchdog
Today's agenda
EasyJet has said it expects a “record-breaking summer” after the airline revealing a 16% jump in profits, in contrast to the weaker sales expected by Irish rival Ryanair.

The Irish carrier’s shares slumped by 17% on Monday after it shocked investors with a steep fall in profits and expectation of falling ticket prices. That drove other airlines down, including a 7% drop for easyJet.

The Ryanair surprise had hung over the Farnborough air show in Hampshire, where the global aviation industry has gathered for a biennial meeting. The aviation industry has mostly been in positive mood as it pushes to meet soaring global demand – although it has offered very little answer to how it will cut total carbon emissions in the coming decades.

Shares in easyJet have duly soared by 9% in the opening minutes of trading.

That erases its losses for the week. Before today it was down 16% for the year; now that is back to 8%.

London Heathrow airport has said it is enjoying an “exceptional start to the year” after a record number of people travelled through it in the first six months.

Europe’s busiest airport reported a 1% drop in revenues for the first half of 2024 to £1.7bn but it said that 39.8 million passengers flew to and from it.

And 30 June was the airport’s busiest day ever, with more than 268,000 passengers travelling on more than 1,300 flights.

The agenda
• 9am BST: eurozone HCOB manufacturing PMI (July; previous 45.8; consensus 46.1)
• 9am BST: eurozone HCOB services PMI (July; previous 52.8; consensus 53)
• 9.30am BST: UK S&P Global services PMI (July; previous 50.9; consensus 51.1)
• 9:30am BST: UK S&P Global services PMI (July; previous 52.1; consensus 52.5)

We’ll be tracking all the main events throughout the day ...
Media
Strictly Come Dancing  
Show should be less competitive but will continue, BBC director general says
Show should be less competitive but will continue, BBC director general says
Reality TV  
Contestant apologises for killing and eating protected New Zealand bird
Spotlight
King to receive extra £45m of public money as crown estate income soars
Monarchy  
King to receive extra £45m of public money as crown estate income soars
Royal accounts show estate made £1.1bn profit, meaning sovereign grant will rise to £132m for 2025-26
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