EasyJet In The Talks With Greek Tourist Officials To Extend Greek Holidays

EasyJet is said to be in talks with the Greek tourist officials to request for longer operations of hotels and restaurants that normally open from May to September to extend their services from March to November. The extension of the Greek holiday season was a move to offset Tunisia exit as people turn away from North Africa vacations.

The request of EasyJet is aimed to take effect beginning 2016. Since the brutal attack of the Islamists in June that killed 38 people in Tunisia, more and more European travelers prefer North Mediterranean resorts. The airline company claims that although they can expand operations in Greece, they can't do it at this time if there are no second-home owners to serve all-year-round routes to Spain and Portugal, Skift reports.

"We can't fly people there if there aren't hotels or restaurants open, but they're not going to open unless we're bringing people in, so it's kind of chicken and egg," Regional Director Sophie Dekkers said in an interview at EasyJet's base in Luton, England.

Following the Sousse attack, EasyJet stopped its flights to Monastir, the only Tunisian destination. Dekkers claimed that there's still a lot of chaos happening in North Africa and Egypt, and EasyJet is taking things slowly as travelers are more being cautious at this time. According to Wash Post Bloomberg, EasyJet is avoiding the same scenario that happened in 2014, when they flew capacity and Greece has bed shortage.

Meanwhile, EasyJet is right now focused on expanding and recruiting more cabin crew and pilots. According to their latest press release, UK's largest airline is recruiting more than 1100 crew and pilot over the next year.

The airline announced that there will be job opportunities at their bases all across U.K. including Belfast, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Luton, Southend and Stansted to hire 830 cabin crew and 310 pilots.

According to Dekker, EasyJet will be "topping up" additional frequencies and flights to its present destinations in Greece. As of this late, the Greek tourist officials have not responded at the request of EasyJet to extend its holidays.