COMPETITORS - Easyjet

easyJet (LSE: EZJ) is a low cost airline officially known as easyJet Airline Company Limited, based at London Luton Airport. The airline operates frequent scheduled services for leisure and business passengers and serves more than 200 routes between more than 65 European airports. It was founded by easyGroup entrepreneur Greek Cypriot Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, but it is now a plc listed on the London Stock Exchange and members of the Haji-Ioannou family own approximately 17%. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.

easyJet does not own its brand, unlike most other airlines. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder and largest individual shareholder of easyJet Airline Co. Ltd. has sole ownership of the "easy" brand and licenses it to his airline (as well as to all other easyGroup businesses). For most easy businesses, the business pays a specified fee to Stelios for the use of the name. However, given the strength of the easyJet brand and the high amount of free advertising and publicity it lends to the other 'easy' businesses, it was agreed at the time of flotation that easyJet could use the name royalty free.
In this case, this kind of arrangement would be of importance should easyJet ever become the subject of a hostile takeover bid. Any bidder[s] will not automatically acquire ownership of the "easy" brand if their bid for the airline is successful. Without securing access to that brand, the airline will be worth a lot less to any new owner[s]. The aforesaid arrangement is similar to the terms governing the use of the Jet Airways brand by that airline.