By Joanna Plucinska LONDON (Reuters) -British carrier EasyJet said on Wednesday it expected smaller losses in the first half of the year and saw strong summer bookings despite a writedown of about 40 million pounds ($50.80 million) due to the conflict in the Middle East. The London-listed airline reported a narrower first-quarter headline loss before tax of 126 million pounds, compared with a loss of 133 million pounds a year ago. European airlines benefited from strong demand in 2023 as travellers continued to fly in a post-pandemic rebound, but fears over high jet fuel prices, geopolitical i…