EasyJet cuts Go routes despite promise

The budget airline easyJet has abruptly cancelled services on two busy routes only weeks after promising that its merger with Go, a rival operator, would not cause timetable changes until next year.

Nearly 10,000 passengers due to take Go flights between Belfast and Glasgow or Edinburgh have been told the service will end on Monday and that they will have to make alternative arrangements.

EasyJet has been scrapping four flights a day across its network because of staffing problems. But its mission statement regarding the £374m merger, which was still posted on its internet site, www.easyjet.com, yesterday, said: "Both airlines will continue to operate separately until the beginning of December 2002.

"There will be no changes to customers' booking terms and conditions for flights up until the end of the winter flying programme, in March 2003. In addition, there will be no change to customers' current expectations of service."

EasyJet said it would be able to offer equivalent flights to nearly every customer of Go, the former British Airways offshoot.

A spokesman for the Air Transport Users Council, an airline watchdog, said: "From a business point of view this is a logical rationalisation, but it isn't what they had said they would do. They may be offering alternative flights or refunds but what if somebody can't get a flight on the same day and they are going to a wedding? There is no additional compensation."

EasyJet said it had brought forward plans to cancel the routes to ease the "severe disruption" it faces. Its spokesman said: "By removing these flights, it frees up an aircraft which can be used throughout our network to provide a full service to our customers."