After a multi-year hiatus created by the pandemic, the short-haul travel market gradually recovered, and in early 2024, easyJet (LSE:EZJ) restored its regular dividend for the first time since 2019.
Since then, the continued supportive tailwinds of a wider industry recovery have helped the airline stock recover and grow its shareholder payouts. And today, investors are able to once again earn a meaningful passive income through buying and holding easyJet shares.
Will dividends continue to grow in 2026? Here are all the details.
When does easyJet pay dividends?
Most companies tend to pay shareholder dividends once every quarter. However, since the timing of these payments is ultimately at the discretion of the management team, easyJet’s dividends are actually only paid out once per year in March, with an ex-dividend date set in February.
While easyJet’s exact ex-dividend date tends to change every year, it has typically been set between 19 February and 28 February since 2012. For the latest 2025 dividend (to be paid on 27 March 2026), the ex-dividend date has been set on 20 February 2026.
What is the dividend payout ratio for easyJet?
Following its latest results in November 2025, easyJet has announced that dividends for its 2025 fiscal year (ending in September) will be 13.2p per share – a 9.9% year on year increase.
The firm’s headline earnings per share for the same period landed at 66.4p. Therefore, the easyJet payout ratio is currently 19.9%. Generally speaking, a payout ratio below 65% is considered ‘safe’ as it provides greater flexibility for management to maintain dividend payments during unfavourable business periods.
Compared to a share price of around 520p, that puts the easyJet dividend yield at approximately 2.6%. However, as the yield is affected by the share price, it will change continuously.
easyJet dividend history
easyJet first started paying a dividend in 2012 as part of its 2011 fiscal year. The table below outlines all dividend payments made since this date.
| Fiscal year (ending in September) | Special Dividend | Ordinary Dividend |
| 2025 | – | 13.2p |
| 2024 | – | 12.1p |
| 2023 | – | 4.5p |
| 2022 | – | – |
| 2021 | – | – |
| 2020 | – | – |
| 2019 | – | 36.96p |
| 2018 | – | 49.34p |
| 2017 | – | 34.43p |
| 2016 | – | 45.29p |
| 2015 | – | 46.47p |
| 2014 | – | 38.22p |
| 2013 | 37.13p | 28.2p |
| 2012 | – | 18.1p |
| 2011 | 34.9p | 8.84p |
What is the easyJet dividend forecast for 2026 and 2027?
Based on current analyst consensus, the easyJet dividend is expected to climb in the 2026 fiscal year with an average consensus of 13.785p per share. This is then expected to rise even further during easyJet’s 2027 fiscal year to 15.514p.
However, it’s important to remember that forecasts must be taken with a healthy pinch of salt. These projections are built on a series of assumptions that don’t always come true. Therefore, there is no guarantee that dividends will rise in the coming years and may instead fall.
Is easyJet having financial problems?
Running an airline business isn’t easy. It comes paired with a lot of fixed costs and operating expenses that can decimate profit margins when the travel market turns sour.
This was seen firsthand by shareholders during the 2020 pandemic when global travel restrictions caused a 60% crash in the easyJet share price. And despite conditions improving significantly over the last few years, the stock is still trading firmly below its pre-pandemic prices.
However, in terms of financial strength, easyJet is in a much stronger position today. Management leveraged clever financial instruments such as aircraft sale-leaseback agreements to raise cash and improve liquidity quickly. These contracts allow an airliner to sell an aircraft to a third party under the condition that the airline continues to lease it for a fixed number of years. As such, operations remain undisrupted, and easyJet gets a large cash injection.
This strategy isn’t perfect. It causes the group’s lease liabilities to increase. However, with more cash in the bank, the firm’s net debt position has improved drastically and is now back in positive territory. That means easyJet currently has more cash than debt, resulting in a healthier balance sheet.
As of September 2025, easyJet has a net cash position of £602m – roughly £421m more versus September 2024. And with 58% of its aircraft fleet still owned, the firm has the financial flexibility to continue executing aircraft sale-leaseback contracts in the future should it need to raise capital urgently.
The massive jump in cash has been supported by the success of its easyJet Holidays division. As competition within the short-haul travel market starts heating back up, airlines are increasingly facing pressure to lower ticket prices to remain competitive.
However, the group’s package holiday services enjoy significantly more pricing power, offsetting the erosion of profit margins in its core air travel business.
Which airline pays the highest dividend?
There are other airline businesses across the London Stock Exchange that offer dividends. However, as of December 2025, easyJet currently offers the largest dividend yield.
| Company | Market Cap | Dividend Yield |
| International Consolidated Airlines | £19.2bn | 2.25% |
| easyJet | £3.9bn | 2.58% |
| Jet2 | £2.7bn | 1.20% |
| Wizz Air Holdings | £1.3bn | 0.00% |