Easyjet has said that it reduced its half-year loss by more than anticipated, as more business passengers chose the airline thanks to a range of deals and perks.

In the six months ended March 31st, the company saw its pre-tax losses fall to £53 million from £61 million the previous year.

This was boosted by offers of flexible tickets, allocated seating and fast-track boarding which attracted more corporate customers.

Commenting on the results, Carolyn McCall, chief executive said: “Easyjet has delivered a solid first half performance despite the less benign capacity environment. The results reflect our on-going progress against our strategic priorities, and demonstrate the structural advantage Easyjet has against both legacy and low cost competition in the European short haul market.

“By continuing to deliver our strategy of offering customers lower fares to great destinations with friendly service while focusing upon costs, we can continue to deliver sustainable growth and returns for our shareholders.  There continue to be a number of attractive opportunities for Easyjet to grow profitably in Europe and we look forward to making further progress in the second half of the year.”