EasyJet reaches business travel milestone

EasyJet claims it has carried a record 12 million business travellers in the 12 months to end of March 2014 - ~the first time the airline has reached that milestone. In 2010 the airline said it carried 8.4 million passengers on business, so it has increased business traveller numbers by 44% while still retaining yields.  One in five of its 62 million passengers are travelling for business, said the airline.  This is thanks to deals with travel management companies, private companies and public sector organisations, plus the development of business-focused products and fares. 

"Enhancements like allocated seating, Inclusive Fares and Fast Track security have all played a part in enabling easyJet to attract more high yielding business passengers and to win a larger slice of the corporate market," said chief executive Carolyn McCall. 

"Recession and austerity has also encouraged business passengers across Europe to sample easyJet and when they do so they like the experience and the great value and they tend to stay with us. 

"The increase in business travellers could also be seen as an encouraging sign of the increasing confidence of businesses across Europe as a number of countries, including the UK, start to edge back into economic growth."

The airline released the figures as it announced its half-year financial results. It managed to cut its winter losses by more than 13% from £61 million last winter to £53 million for the six months to March 31. Total revenue per seat rose by 1.5% to £54.80 which easyJet said was driven, in part, by a number of digital and revenue management initiatives, increased average sector length and allocated seating. 

Meanwhile, average load factors increased by 0.4 percentage points to 89.0% whilst capacity grew by 3.6% to 31.1 million seats. 

In the UK, easyJet said it was the largest short-haul airline with a 20% market share. It increased UK capacity by 5.1% in the six months to 31 March 2014 by starting 17 new routes and continuing to increase frequencies on existing routes. It said this summer easyJet expects to grow overall capacity (measured in seats flown) by 6.7%, around a third of this growth coming from the acquisition of the Flybe slots at Gatwick.~ 

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Frankfurt Airport Reports Slight Increase in Passenger Volumes Despite Strike

In April 2014, Fraport AG welcomed more than 4.7 million passengers at its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base.  This corresponds to a slight increase of 0.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year.  FRA’s traffic statistics for the reporting period were influenced partly by opposing special and base-year effects.  In April 2013, a strike by Lufthansa ground staff led to some 950 flight cancellations, affecting more than 100,000 passengers.  In the first week of April 2014, a three-day walkout by the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union resulted in some 2,160 cancellations, affecting some 250,000 passengers.
 
Cargo volumes edged down by 1.2 percent to 171,909 metric tons in the reporting period.  This was due to the strike-related reduction in shipping capacities as well as the shift of the Easter holidays from March to April in 2014, with cargo business slowing down during the holiday period.  Aircraft movements decreased by 4.1 percent year-on-year, to 37,632 takeoffs and landings.  Accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOW) also slightly contracted by 0.9 percent to just under 3 million metric tons.
 
The Fraport Group’s portfolio of international airports posted a very positive performance.  Almost 1.2 million passengers passed through Peru’s Lima Airport (LIM) in April 2014 – an increase of 6.4 percent compared to the same month of the previous year.  Fraport’s two airports on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast – Burgas (BOJ) and Varna (VAR) – recorded a combined count of 59,328 passengers, up 25.4 percent.
 
Antalya Airport (AYT) on the Turkish Riviera welcomed about 1.7 million passengers in April 2014, up 12.6 percent.  With 951,904 passengers, Pulkovo Airport (LED) in St. Petersburg (Russia) recorded an increase of 8.3 percent, while passenger volumes at Hanover Airport (HAJ) in Germany expanded by 3.3 percent to 435,205.  A total of 2.4 million passengers used Xi’an Airport (XIY) in China in the reporting period. This corresponds to an increase of 11.7 percent year-on-year.

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140% jump in continental traffic through Shannon Airport

There has been a significant increase in passenger numbers at Shannon airport since last year.

There was a 140% jump in figures on continental services in April in comparison with the same last year.

It follows a five-year decline in numbers. The facility separated from the state airports group in January of last year.

Shannon Airport expects further growth in 2014

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Dubai International closes in on top spot

Double-digit passenger traffic growth continued at Dubai International for the seventh consecutive month during February, according to the latest traffic statistics issued by operator Dubai Airports.

Passenger traffic reached 5,675,246 in February 2014, up 11.7 per cent from 5,080,360 recorded during the same month in 2013.

Traffic was boosted by network expansion primarily from home carriers flydubai and Emirates Airline.

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