Aer Lingus sees Passenger Numbers Increase in December
Aer Lingus carried 780,000 passengers in December 19, up 1.4% on December 18. Revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) were up 6.4% and passenger load factor was 78.1%, up 4.8 points. Cargo Revenue Tonne-Kilometre (RTK) was down about 20%.
For IAG as a whole, passenger numbers were up 5.5% to 8.7m, with traffic up 6.4% with a 2.7% increase on International European routes and a 6.7% increase on North American routes. The IAG Group passenger load factor was 83.9%, up 3.5 points, with International Europe 80.8%, up 3.7 points, and North America 84.2%, up 4.9 points. Cargo was down 7.8%.
BA passenger numbers were up 5.1%, traffic was up 4.3% and passenger load factor was 83.7%, up 3.3 points. Iberia passenger numbers were up 7.5%, traffic up 8.1% and load factor was 86.1%, up 2.7 points. LEVEL passenger load factor was 87.0%, up 8.4 points. Vueling passenger numbers were up 3.2%, traffic was up 3.0% and load factor was 83.9%, up 3.7 points.
In the year 2019, Aer Lingus carried 11.6m passengers, up 2.4% on 2018. RPKs were up 5.3% and passenger load factor was 81.8%, up 0.8 points. Cargo (RTK) was down 0.6%.
For IAG as a whole, passenger numbers were up 4.7% to 118.3m, with traffic up 5.6%, a 2.2% increase on International European routes and a 3.6% increase on North American routes. The IAG Group passenger load factor was 84.6%, up 1.3 points, with International Europe 83.6%, up 0.4 points, and North America 84.1%, up 1.8 points. Cargo was down 2.4%.
BA passenger numbers were up 1.6% to 47.7m, traffic was up 2.2% and passenger load factor was 83.6%, up 1.1 points. Iberia passenger numbers were up 7.2% to 22.4m, traffic up 9.8% and plf was 87.2%, up 1.7 points. LEVEL passenger load factor was 83.9%, unchanged. Vueling passenger numbers were up 5.6%, traffic was up 4.5% and plf was 86.9%, up 1.5 points.
IAG CEO to Retire
IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh is to retire from the role and from the board of IAG, the parent company of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Level, on 26th March and will retire on 30th June. The current head of IAG’s Iberia, Luis Gallego, will succeed Willie Walsh as group CEO.
IAG chairman Antonio Vazquez said “Under Willie’s leadership IAG has become one of the leading global airline groups. Willie has been the main driver of this unique idea that is IAG.” He praised Mr Walsh’s “strong leadership and clear vision”. “I am deeply respectful of what he has achieved as CEO of this group, of his sense of fairness, his transparency and his capacity to integrate people regardless of nationalities or backgrounds,” added Mr Vazquez. Luis Gallego’s successor at Iberia will be announced in due course.