The Aer Lingus Group announced that it carried 811,000 passengers in April up 3.2% with a load factor of 72.7% up 2.8%. The airline carried 79,000 long-haul passengers up 8.2% with a load factor of 75.1% up 5.6% and it carried 732,000 short-haul passengers up 0.7% with a load factor of 71.5% up 1.4% as the carrier phased parked winter capacity back into the system from the 26th of March for the summer scheduled.
The Aer Lingus Regional operation carried 79,000 passengers in April up 27.4% driven by the launch of the summer schedule and the transfer of routes operated under the Aer Arann Regional brand name. The total Aer Lingus traffic stats as usual exclude traffic carried under the United Airlines Joint Venture Washington Dulles to Madrid
The Air France-KLM Group is expected to announce next month the future shape of regional business unit which will see Brit Air, Cityjet and Regional Airlines operate under a single brand name as part of the ‘Transform 2015’ cost reduction program.
Ryanair announced that it carried 7.2 million passengers in April up 6% with a load factor of 82% up 1% and year to date to the end of April it has carried 76.3 million passengers. The return to positive traffic growth indicates the return of 80 + Boeing 737-8AS parked aircraft to service & new deliveries for the launch of new bases and summer seasonal routes from bases across
EI-EVM Boeing 737-8AS c/n 40296 Delivered 03/04/12
EI-EVN Boeing 737-8AS c/n 40294 Delivered 06/04/12
EI-EVO Boeing 737-8AS c/n 40297 Delivered 24/04/12
EI-EVP Boeing 737-8AS c/n 40293 Delivered 27/04/12.
The carrier has a further 11 Boeing 737-800s to be delivered between September 2012 and March 2013 which will see the carrier complete its contract with Boeing although it has given no indication to the status of the 174 options outstanding. A further update on negotiations for a potential new order for up to 400 new aircraft is expected with the Ryanair Full Year Results due to be announced on Monday 21st of May.
Irish Aviation Research Institute © 8th May 2012
