Air NZ says overall load factor fell to 76.1 percent in August

By NZPA

Tuesday 22nd October 2002

Air New Zealand said its overall passenger load factor fell to 76.1 percent in August from 77 percent in July but was up from 71.9 percent a year earlier.

It said its domestic load factor remained constant at 65 percent from a year earlier.

In July and August it filled 77.5 percent of seats, up from 73.6 percent a year earlier with domestic loadings rising to 66.8 percent from 66.2 percent.

Domestic revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) decreased by 3 percent in August from a year earlier in line with a 3.2 percent decrease in capacity.

In April last year, Air New Zealand increased domestic capacity following the collapse of the Qantas New Zealand operation but then contracted when Qantas Airways entering the domestic market.

For the two months to August 2002, domestic RPKs fell 4.9 percent on capacity reductions of 5.7 percent. International capacity decreased by 10.2 percent from the year earlier period.

The airline, currently in talks with Qantas, said passenger arrivals from the Atlantic, Japan and trans-Tasman routes fell slightly relative to August last year, with the drop in trans-Tasman arrivals attributable in part to the Australia-New Zealand rugby test held in New Zealand in August 2001.

This was partially offset by increased passenger arrivals from Asia (excluding Japan) and Europe.

For the first time since February 2002, passenger departures from New Zealand showed signs of growth mainly on the European, Asian and Pacific routes.

Around 90 percent of Air New Zealand RPKs related to international operations but only around 75 percent of revenue and a much smaller proportion of profits, when profits are made.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet