• Lahiru Ranasinghe has been appointed as Director of Sustainability at easyJet

  • He succeeds Jane Ashton, who was appointed in the role in 2019 and has led the company to the number 1 ESG rated airline in Europe by Sustainalytics, MSCI and CDP

  • Lahiru was previously the airline’s Head of Net Zero and will continue to lead the airline’s decarbonisation and wider sustainability strategies

easyJet has announced today that Lahiru Ranasinghe, previously the airline’s Head of Net Zero, has become the airline’s Director of Sustainability.

An experienced aerospace professional with expertise in airline strategy, network planning and sustainability, Lahiru played a pivotal role in creating the airline’s net zero roadmap, putting his background in aeronautical engineering to use and working with experts across the industry to create the airline’s award-winning* decarbonisation strategy.

Lahiru has been in the airline industry for over a decade, holding commercial and strategy roles at British Airways and Virgin Atlantic before joining easyJet, joining in 2019 as a Senior Strategy Manager before moving into the sustainability function in 2022. Prior to joining the airline industry, he completed a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering and started his career as an engineer working on Airbus commercial aircraft.

Lahiru takes over from Jane Ashton, who joined the airline in 2019 to set up the sustainability team function at easyJet and, among many achievements, leaves the business with easyJet ranking as the number 1 ESG rated airline in Europe by Sustainalytics, MSCI and CDP. She also oversaw easyJet’s record carbon intensity reductions against the airline’s 2019 net zero baseline.

Lahiru Ranasinghe, easyJet’s Director Sustainability, said: “I am honoured to take on this role and continue on the journey that I started with Jane Ashton. We have made a great start, and easyJet is on track to meet our interim target of 35% reduction in GHG emissions intensity by 2035. Nevertheless we have a challenging and exciting journey ahead and it is a privilege to take on the responsibility of guiding easyJet and the wider industry towards a more sustainable future.”

easyJet was the first low-cost airline to launch a net zero roadmap and is on track to deliver its SBTi-validated 35% carbon intensity reduction target by 2035. The airline’s ultimate ambition to decarbonise will be driven through a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, zero-carbon emissions technology, and carbon removals.

 

                                                                                                                           ENDS

 

For further information, please contact kundai.musara@easyjet.com

 

Notes to editors:

 

*easyJet’s net zero roadmap was voted best net zero strategy of the year at the 2023 Green Business Awards

 

About easyJet

 

easyJet is one of Europe’s largest airlines offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports with great value fares and friendly service.

 

easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried more than 100 million passengers in 2024. The airline has over 340 aircraft flying on over 1000 routes to more than 160 airports across 35 countries. Over 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.

 

easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in nine countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised over £17m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.

 

In 2022, easyJet published its roadmap to net zero by 2050. The roadmap, which also features a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technology, has set an ambitious interim carbon emissions intensity reduction target of 35% by 2035, validated by the Science-based targets initiative (SBTi). The airline’s ultimate aim is to fully transition its fleet to zero carbon emission technology, which it will achieve through a number of strategic partnerships including with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace Solutions. Since 2000, the airline has successfully reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by one-third and is the number 1 ESG rated airline in Europe by Sustainalytics, MSCI and CDP.

 

Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching nearly 30 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for its passengers.

 

In 2023 easyJet was named by TIME as one of the World’s Best Companies and a Leader in Diversity 2024 by The Financial Times.