Christmas boost for easyJet as 5.6m people fly in December

Rise of 15.1% in passenger numbers is welcome news for airline after it suffered sharp fall in annual profitsEasyJet enjoyed a big rise in passenger numbers in December as Britons put aside concerns about the falling pound to seek out winter sun in the Canaries or Spain. European city breaks were also popular in the run-up to Christmas.The budget airline flew nearly 5.6 million passengers last month, 731,720 more than a year earlier – a 15.1% rise. This took the number of passengers transp