5th Mar 2015 10:19
LONDON (Alliance News) - EasyJet PLC and Aer Lingus PLC both reported improvements in key traffic metrics in February, with low-cost airline easyJet reporting increases in both passenger numbers and the measure of how full its planes are.
Easyjet said it flew nearly 4.5 million passengers in February, up 6.1% from 4.2 million in February 2013, while its load factor, a measure of how full its planes are, rose to 90.9%, from 90.7%. That means it has flown 65.6 million passengers in the 12 months to the end of February, up 6.5% from 61.6 million in the previous 12 months and its load factor is up to 90.8%, from 89.4%.
Traffic at Aer Lingus, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, rose 6.9% in February, while load factor rose 1.9 percentage points to 69.2% as a 0.9% drop in passenger numbers was more than offset by a 3.9% fall in capacity measured in available seat kilometres.
Revenue passenger kilometres is the preferred measure of traffic for scheduled carriers with both long-haul and short-haul operations as it takes account of passenger numbers and distance flown. Low-cost airlines like easyJet just report passenger numbers. Revenue passengers are those that pay commercial fares, and exclude free staff flights and free children's flights. Revenue passenger kilometres include the kilometres flown, by stages, and is an attempt to measure sales volume.
Aer Lingus short-haul traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres fell 3.5%, while its smaller long-haul operations rose 27.6%.
On Wednesday, International Consolidated Airlines Group PLC, which is trying to buy Aer Lingus, had said its group traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres rose 5.5% on the year in February, outpacing a 4.3% increase in capacity in available seat kilomtres. Its group premium traffic, its most-profitable traffic, rose 2.8% on the year.
Revenue passenger kilometres rose 3.3% at British Airways, outpacing a 2.0% rise in available seat kilomtres, rose 10.8% at Iberia, outpacing a 7.9% rise on capacity, while the figure was up 11.6% at Vueling, not enough to outpace a 16.4% increase in available seat kilometres.
Cargo tonne kilometres were down 2.8% at British Airways but rose 2.5% at Iberia. Vueling doesn't carry cargo.
EasyJet shares were down 0.8% at 1,724.00 pence Thursday morning, IAG shares were down 1.1% at 563.50 pence, while Aer Lingus shares were up 5.2% at EUR2.33 in London.
By Steve McGrath; [email protected]; @stevemcgrath1
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