EasyJet Moscow route will attract business travel

(CNN) -- EasyJet's new London to Moscow route is an opportunity to attract more business travelers, according to the low cost airline's chief executive.

In an interview with CNN's Nina Dos Santos, Carolyn McCall estimates that about one third of passengers on the four hour flight from London to Moscow would be traveling on business.

The British carrier -- known for its bargain basement flights and tangerine-colored aircraft -- beat seven other airline giants to secure the rights to the London-Moscow route.

But McCall tells CNN: "We were convinced we had a good shot with this; we have a very credible position for business passengers... all the other airlines were focused on Heathrow not Gatwick and were very much focused on the front cabin and the premium experience."

McCall -- who was appointed CEO in July 2010 -- says the biggest challenge facing the company today is maintaining cost advantage over its competitors.

She says: "Our biggest cost after fuel is airports; there is a huge focus from us on making sure we only pay an airport for what we use."

Efficiency and low operation overheads are central to the airline's business model, according to McCall. "I think it is very difficult for legacy carriers to compete with us on price and fares because they don't have the cost structure that we have."