No
frills airline Easyjet has reported a 21.5% rise in annual pre-tax profits,
helped by increased passenger numbers.
Profits
rose to £581m for the 12 months to end of September, up from £478m in the
previous year.
The
UK carrier also said it had transported 64.8 million passengers - marking a 7%
rise.
Chief
executive Carolyn McCall said EasyJet had "opened up clear blue sky"
between the airline and its competitors.
Easyjet,
which has a fleet of 226 planes, said the acquisition of slots at Gatwick
airport from rival airline Flybe had boosted its performance.
The
amount of available seats on Easyjet flights grew by
