LONDON (ShareCast) - EasyJet’s chief executive Andrew Harrison lifted his stake in the budget airline substantially today spending nearly £0.5m on shares.

He bought 187,452 shares at 264.75p each and now has 682,523 shares in the company, a stake of around 0.16%.

Shares in easyJet have fallen heavily in recent months, largely due to the effects of soaring oil prices on the fuel-guzzling airline. Harrison bought nearly 72,000 shares at 344.8p each in March.

Earlier this month, easyJet said that pre-tax losses widened to £57.5m for the six months ended 31 March 2008 from £17.1m the year before. The figure was in line with expectations and includes £9.1m of one-off costs associated with the integration of GB Airways, the Gatwick Airport-based airline that easyJet bought earlier this year.

Speaking as the results were delivered, Harrison said bookings for summer showed no sign of any economic slowdown despite the impact of rising fuel costs and that an economic downturn would help easyJet gain market share from its rivals.

Harrison joined easyJet as chief executive in December 2005. He is also a non-executive director at the magazine publisher Emap.

Elsewhere in director dealings, Lastminute.com founder and Marks and Spencer non-executive director Martha Lane Fox spent nearly £20,000 building up her stake in the fashion and food retailer.

She took 5,100 shares at 390.92p a go and now has 20,100.

Top Director Buys

easyJet (EZJ)
Director name: Mr Andrew Harrison
Amount purchased: 187,452 @ 264.80p
Value: £496,373

Chrysalis Group (CHS)
Director name: Mr Chris N Wright
Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 117.50p
Value: £117,500

Findel (FDL)
Director name: Mr G P Craig
Amount purchased: 30,000 @ 251.00p
Value: £75,300

QinetiQ Group (QQ.)
Director name: Mr Nick L Luff
Amount purchased: 23,000 @ 199.70p
Value: £45,931

Friends Provident (FP.)
Director name: Mr David Rough
Amount purchased: 25,000 @ 115.90p
Value: £28,975

Marks & Spencer Group (MKS)
Director name: Ms Martha Lane Fox
Amount purchased: 5,100 @ 390.90p
Value: £19,936

GlobeOp Financial Services (GO.)
Director name: Mr Hans Hufschmid
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 193.00p
Value: £19,300

AIM Resources (AIMR)
Director name: Mr William Douglas Cash
Amount purchased: 150,000 @ 4.84p
Value: £7,260

Land Securities Group (LAND)
Director name: Mr Kevin O'Byrne
Amount purchased: 1,000 @ 1,427.00p
Value: £14,270


Top Director Sells

Irish Continental Group Uts (ICGC)
Director name: Mr Anthony (Tony) Kelly
Amount sold: 49,457 @ € 20.44
Value: € 1,011,099

Marston's (MARS)
Director name: Mr Stephen J Oliver
Amount sold: 18,986 @ 217.80p
Value: £41,352

Marston's (MARS)
Director name: Mr Alistair W Darby
Amount sold: 18,986 @ 217.80p
Value: £41,352

Luminar Group (LMR)
Director name: Mr Stephen C Thomas
Amount sold: 3,892 @ 320.30p
Value: £12,466

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