AirAsia records load factor of 76 per cent for third quarter

KUCHING: AirAsia Bhd (AirAsia) a load factor of 76 per cent for the third qof 2013 (3Q13) – down two percentage points (ppt) from the same period last year.

The total number of passengers carried for the whole group grew by 27 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to approximately 10.61 million continuing its’ double digit passenger phenomenal growth, in line with the increase in capacity which stood at 29 per cent.

According to the group in a statement yesterday, year on year, AirAsia Group took in 32 additional aircraft, which brings its total fleet at the end of September 2013 to 137 (142 including aircraft that were still located in Japan).

Malaysia AirAsia (MAA) maintained a load factor of 77 per cent in 3Q13 despite being a non-peak quarter due to the fasting month for the Muslims.

The total number of aircraft under MAA at the end of September 2013 was 66, an additional of seven as compared to the same period last year.

The number of passengers carried during the reported period was up 11 per cent at 5.3 million, in line with the 11 per cent capacity increase.

The increase in passenger traffic was attributed to the addition of frequencies in a number of routes including Kuala Lumpur to Kunming, Banda Acheh, Tiruchirappalli, and Pekan Baru and from introducing a new unique route this quarter in the form of daily flights from Kota Kinabalu to Hangzhou.

The strong load factor and high passenger growth is mainly due to AirAsia’s continuous strategy to be load active and yield passive.

On the regional front, Thai AirAsia recorded an impressive load factor of 83 per cent during the quarter, a one ppt increase y-oy-y, while Indonesia AirAsia posted a decline of three ppts in its load factor y-o-y to 75 per cent.

On the other hand, Philippines’ AirAsia recorded a load factor of 59 per cent, up four ppts from 55 per cent in the same quarter last year.