LONDON (Alliance News) - International Consolidated Airlines Group PLC Friday reported strong traffic growth in September, with its high-margin premium traffic up 7.6% compared with a year earlier.
The parent of British Airways and Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling said group traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres rose 8.5% compared with September 2013, outperforming an 8.4% increase in capacity measured in available seat kilometres, meaning its passenger load factor - a measure of how full its planes are - rose 0.1 percentage points to 84.5%, from 84.4%.
The group carried 7.5 million passengers in September, up 11.0% from 6.7 million in the same month in 2013. Growth on domestic UK, Spanish and Italian routes, European routes, and Asian Pacific routes was particularly strong. No regions showed a decline.
Its group cargo, measured in cargo tonne kilometres, fell 6.0%, with an 8.0% increase at Iberia failing to offset an 8.7% decline at British Airways.
All the group's airlines grew in terms of revenue passenger kilometres, but British Airways was the only one to increase the measure more than the increase in available seat kilometres.
British Airways' revenue passenger kilometres rose 6.1%, well above the 5.7% increase in available seat kilometres. Revenue passenger kilometres were up 7.4% at Iberia, underperforming a 7.6% increase in available seat kilometres, while the figures were 26.0% and 26.5%, respectively, at Vueling.
For the first nine months of 2014, IAG's passenger numbers are up 16.8% compared with the same period of 2013, or 8.6% when Vueling is included in the base line. IAG acquired Vueling in April 2013.
Group traffic in revenue passenger kilometres is up 9.5% over the same nine-month periods, or 6.7% including Vueling completely in both periods, although available passenger kilometres have risen 10.5%, or 7.5% including a full contribution from Vueling, meaning passenger load factor is down 0.6 percentage points.
Last month, IAG converted eight Airbus A330-200 options it had into firm orders for Iberia. The aircraft will be delivered between 2015 and 2018. It also announced last month that it would resume direct flights from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur next summer, and it has added three new routes to its Gatwick schedule: Funchal in Madeira, Seville and Las Palmas in Gran Canaria in Spain, will be operated from March 2015.
Its Vueling airline reached a so-called interline deal with Qatar Airways last month, an agreement that should boost Vueling traffic as it will feed Qatar Airways long haul flights from Barcelona and Rome-Fiumicino.
IAG shares were up 3.4% at 359.80 pence Friday afternoon.
By Steve McGrath; stevemcgrath@alliancenews.com; @stevemcgrath1
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International Airlines (IAG)