Company history EasyJet Airline Company Limited operates as a no-frills entity in the UK airline industry. The airline started in 1995 under the stewardship of Stelios Haji-Ioannou a Greek magnate and it is headquartered at Luton, London. The firm operates as a subsidiary of EasyGroup conglomerate and it has managed to attain national and international recognition. In the UK, the firm ranks as the largest airline company based on its customer base and international and domestic scheduled services. Currently, the firm operates in more than 600 routes distributed across 30 countries. During its introduction phase, the airline leased 2 Boeing 737-200 aircrafts and operated in only 2 routes. The firm has managed to increase its fleet size to 200 aircrafts. In 2012, EasyJet carried more than 59 million passengers across the world. In Europe, EasyJet ranks as the 2 nd largest low-cost carrier (Burns 2). Since its inception, EasyJet’s management team has been committed towards undertaking rapid expansion. One of the strategies that the firm has integrated in its effort to attain its expansion objectives entails entering into merger and acquisition deals. During its market introduction phase, the airline managed to acquire several of its competitors. In 1998, the firm acquired a 40 per cent shareholding of TEA Basle, a Swiss charter airline. Upon its acquisition, the firm renamed the acquired firm as EasyJet Switzerland, which enabled the firm to operate as a franchise in Switzerland. In 2002, EasyJet announced its objective to acquire the London Stansted-based Go, which is one of the major hubs for low-cost carriers in the European region at a cost of £ 374 million. This acquisition contributed towards the increment of the firm’s size of its Boeing 737-300 fleet. During the following years, the firm continued with its expansion goal. For example, in 2002, the firm established a base at Gatwick Airport in Germany and other bases in Spain, Italy, and France. This move significantly contributed towards the firm’s ability to improve its presence in the European region. EasyJet has managed to position itself as one of the most profitable airlines globally with approximate sales revenue of $3.5 billion. In addition to the airline business, the EasyNetwork has also ventured into the car rentals industry by establishing the Easycar.com in 2000. EasyCar.com operates as a low-cost car hire firm. The firm ranks amongst the leading car rental brokers globally (Powell 2). In the course of its operation, Easycar.com has managed to establish more than 3,500 car hire locations that are distributed in over 60 countries. Additionally, the firm has managed to develop a fleet of different car models in accordance with customers’ tastes and preferences. When establishing the Easycar.com line of business, Stelios Haji-Ioannou intended to continue with his principle of ensuring that customers attain their value for money. However, the car rental line of business has not been as successful when compared to EasyJet. This paper intends to conduct a comprehensive analysis of EasyCar.com by analyzing the businesses environment and the competitive analysis. This analysis employs the Porters Five Forces model and the SWOT analysis. Competition in the car rental industry The UK car rental sector has continued to remain competitive since the 1990s. The secto