Aer Lingus announced that it carried 809,000 passengers in March up 8.2% with the airline carrying 663,000 short-haul passengers up 5.4% with a load factor of 72.6% up 3.4% and 73,000 long-haul passengers with a load factor of 82% up 8.2%. The Aer Lingus Regional Franchise operation carried 73,000 passengers up 30.4% coutinuing its strong performance ,and as usual the carrier does not release traffic figures for the United Airlines Washington Dulles to Madrid route.

                                                       

Ryanair announced that it carried 5.5 million passengers in March down 4% with a load factor of 79% down 1% and in the rolling 12 months to the end of March it carried 75.8 million passengers. On the 26^th of March the carrier opened its new Billund Base with two Boeing 737-800s and 28^th of March the airline opened its first Polish base in Wroclaw with a single Boeing 737-800, thus as the airline opens new base and resumes seasonal routes the growth will turn positive.

Ryanair Boeing 737-8AS Deliveries:

EI-EVI Boeing 737-8AS c/n 38502 Delivered 2/03/12

EI-EVJ Boeing 737-8AS c/n 38501 Delivered 08/03/12

EI-EVK Boeing 737-8AS c/n 40928 Delivered 14/03/12

EI-EVL Boeing 737-8AS c/n 40299 Delivered 24/03/12

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 16^th April 2012 All Rights Reserved.