Air-France KLM announces February 2009 traffic results

The deterioration in the operating environment weighed on both passenger and cargo activities.

Passenger business
February 2009 comprised 28 days compared with 29 days last year, a reduction of around 3.4%. On a same number of days basis, traffic fell 2.6% with capacity down 1.1% (-6.0% and -4.5% on an actual number of days basis). The load factor declined by 1.2 points to 74.3%. The group carried 4.8 million passengers (-4.8% or -8,1% on an actual number of days basis).
As in previous months, the economic crisis continued to impact business traffic, but activity was also affected by several additional factors: school holidays in the Paris region falling exclusively in February rather than across February and March last year, the half-day closure of the CDG and Orly airports due adverse weather conditions, and the general strike in the French Antilles.
- On the Americas network, traffic decreased by 4.6% with capacity down by 2.2%. The load factor stood at 74.2% (-1.8 points).
- The Asia network saw traffic down by 7.8% with a 6.2% decline in capacity. The load factor stood at 83.1% (-1.5 points).
- On the Africa and Middle East network, traffic decreased by 1.7% and capacity by 3.7%. The load factor gained 1.5 points to 75.2%.
- The Caribbean and Indian Ocean network saw a 6.3% drop in traffic with capacity down by 4.9%. The load factor declined 1.2 points to 81.4%
- As in January, the European network and particularly the French domestic network were especially affected by adverse weather conditions. Traffic fell 9.0% with capacity down 6.1%. The load factor declined by 1.9 points to 60.9%.

Cargo business
As of January 1st 2009, the group consolidated the cargo activities of Martinair, which represent the latter’s main business. On a same number of days basis, including Martinair, traffic was up by 3.6% with capacity up by 13.8% (+0.2% and +10.4% on an actual number of days basis). The load factor fell 6.3 points to 65.2%. Excluding Martinair, traffic and capacity dropped by 18.5% and 8.0% on a same number of days basis, leading to a 8.1 point decline in load factor to 60.7%.
 

Source: Transportweekly