easyJet

easyJet was founded in March 1995 by businessman Stelios Haji-Ioannou who was then 28 years old. The first flight from London-Luton to Glasgow took off on 10 November 1995. The aircraft used by the airline during the first year were leased from British Airways. easyJet bought the first of its own planes in April 1996. The first easyJet flight from Dortmund Airport departed on 15 July 2004 for Palma de Mallorca. 

Only three years after it was founded, easyJet bought a share in the Swiss charter operation TEA Basel AG, which later become the company's Swiss subsidiary easyJet Switzerland. In 1999, the airline set up its second base in Liverpool, alongside London-Luton, and a year later was floated on the London stock exchange. By 2009, easyJet had a further 18 bases throughout Europe. It now employs around 4000 people in the air and on the ground, all of whom aim to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction. 

The takeover of the British Airways spin-off Go-Fly in August 2002 made easyJet the largest low-cost airline in Europe. easyJet has a total of 279 routes from 74 airports. From Dortmund Airport, the airline flies to six destinations in Europe (as at December 2010).

In 2008, easyJet acquired the British airline GB Airways and is now the fourth largest airline in Europe. easyJet passengers can choose their own seats, but travellers who opt for the Speedy Boarding service can be among the first onto the plane. 

Flight safety is the airline's number one priority, which is why the A319 aircraft that it is using on a growing number of routes have been fitted with two additional emergency exits.

• 12 October 1999: "Best Low-Cost Airline" award from Business Traveller magazine.
• 21 February 2000: Prize for the best on-board service concept (International Flight Catering Association Awards). 
• 17 July 2000: Readers of The Guardian and The Observer ranked easyJet as the 7th best airline worldwide. 
• 16 October 2000: Chosen as "Best Low-Cost Airline" (by readers of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph). 
• September 2001: Rated as one of Europe's leading airlines in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards. In the short-haul holiday category, easyJet took 3rd place with a total score of 86% for customer satisfaction and standard of service. 
• 23 January 2004: easyJet was ranked as the number one online low-cost airline by the market research company Nielsen/NetRatings. 
• 23 February 2004: A survey by Company Barclaycard Travel rated easyJet as the leading low-cost airline for business travellers. 
• 13 November 2004: Travel agencies throughout the world chose easyJet as Europe's leading low-cost airline, as part of the Annual World Travel Awards. 
• 16 May 2005: For the fourth year in a row, easyJet was rated the most popular low-cost airline by travellers taking part in the Barclays Business Survey. 
• December 2006: Readers of Buying Business Travel magazine voted easyJet the best no-frills airline for business travellers. 
• 17 September 2007: Readers of Business Traveller magazine chose easyJet as the best low-cost carrier for the eighth year in a row. 
• 25 September 2007: Visitors to the Group Leisure website and readers of the accompanying magazine awarded easyJet the prize for the best airline for group travellers. 
• 6 December 2007: Readers of Buying Business Travel magazine voted easyJet the best no-frills airline for business travellers for the second year in a row. 
• April 2008: Readers of the Hungarian magazine Utazó selected easyJet as the "Best Low-Cost Airline of 2007" after interviews with experts from the tourism industry, business travellers and frequent fliers for business and pleasure.  
• 11 April 2008: Hitwise presented easyJet with the Hitwise UK 2007 award for the "Most visited UK commercial airline website".  
• 6 November 2008: In the face of tough competition, easyJet won the coveted "Best Low-Cost/No-Frills Airline" prize at the British Travel Awards. 
• easyJet aircraft at Dortmund Airport