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LONDON (Alliance News) - Low-cost airline easyJet PLC Thursday joined the African airline backed by its founder, fastjet PLC, in reporting another increase in passenger numbers in April, while traffic at Irish airline Aer Lingus fell as a drop in its short-haul operations more than offset growth in long-haul and International Consolidated Airlines Group PLC reported a traffic increase.
EasyJet said it flew 6.0 million passengers in April, up from 5.8 million a year earlier, while its load factor, a measure of how many paid seats are filled on its planes, rose to 90.8% from 89.8%. For the 12 months to the end of April, it flew 66.2 million passengers, up from 62.4 million in the previous 12 months, while its load factor improved to 91.0% from 89.7%.
The increase came despite easyJet cancelling 602 flights in April compared with 48 a year earlier, mainly due to air traffic control strikes in France.
AIM-listed fastjet, which is backed by easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, said its operations in Tanzania flew 68,088 passengers in April, nearly double the 35,770 it flew a year earlier, while its load factor rose to 73% from 66%. For the rolling 12 months to the end of April, it flew 694,227 passengers, up from 389, 164 a year earlier.
"As our passenger numbers continue to increase, we are close to needing extra capacity and negotiations for more aircraft are under way," fastjet Chief Executive ed Winter said.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus, which reports traffic figures measured in revenue passenger kilometres, said traffic fell 3.6% on the year in April, as a 7.5% drop in short-haul was only partially offset by a 1.5% increase for long-haul.
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.
However, the Irish flag carrier's load factor improved in both short-haul and long-haul as its capacity, measured in available seat kilometres, was cut by more than the change in traffic. Overall passenger load factor for the month was 78.2%, up from 75.8% a year earlier.
International Consolidated Airlines Group PLC, which is trying to add Aer Lingus to its stable of existing airlines, said it traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres rose 4.0% on the year in April, and its most-profitable premium traffic rose 5.3%.
However, the parent of British Airways and Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling said capacity in available seat kilometres rose 6.4%, meaning its load factor fell to 78.4%, from 80.2% in April 2014. The capacity increase was greater than the traffic increase at all three airlines.
Wizz Air Holdings also said its passenger numbers rose in April as it introduced two new aircraft to its fleet.
The Central and Eastern Europe-focused budget carrier said its passenger numbers rose 23% to 1.5 million, from 1.2 million in April 2014. Its capacity rose 21% to 1.8 million from 1.5 million, as it added two new A320s to its fleet, meaning its load factor, a measure of how many paying seats are filled on its planes, increased by 1.7 percentage points to 86.2%, from 84.9% in April 2014.
EasyJet shares were up 2.4% at 1,815.00 pence Thursday afternoon, fastjet was flat at 120.00 pence, Aer Lingus was up 0.4% at EUR2.37, IAG was up 2.9% at 560.53 pence, and Wizz Air was down 0.1% at 1,399.00 pence.
By Steve McGrath; stevemcgrath@alliancenews.com; @stevemcgrath1
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