Aer Lingus long-haul numbers fall 32%

AER LINGUS carried 664,000 passengers in February — 24,000, or 3.5%, less than in the same month last year.

The year-on-year drop in last month’s passenger figures was driven by an alarming 32.4% fall in the airline’s long-haul passenger numbers. In total, 46,000 people travelled on Aer Lingus long-haul routes during the month, 22,000 less than in February of last year.

The former state-owned airline — which counts low fares rival Ryanair as its largest independent shareholder — saw its short-haul passenger numbers fall by 0.3%, on a year-on-year basis, last month; 618,000 people travelling on the various routes as opposed to 620,000 a year ago.

Coupled with January’s figures (which showed a 0.6% overall year-on-year passenger rise, but a 23% fall in long-haul figures), Aer Lingus’s total passenger numbers are down by 1.5% in the year to date, with long-haul traffic down 27.5% but short-haul up 1.6%.

Total load factor — the level of seats actually filled on planes — was down by 2.1%, year-on-year, in February; but are up by 0.7% in the year to date.

The airline is due to report its full-year financial results for 2009 on Tuesday next, with analysts anticipating operating losses ofbetween €84m and €88m to be announced. The company reported an operating loss of €17.6m in 2008.

Analysts are anticipating news of the airline’s long- haul plans at Tuesday’s briefing, but the company’s management has already said that it expects customer demand to be soft during the first half of this year.

Regarding the airline’s restructuring plan, 81% of Aer Lingus pilots yesterday voted in favour of the cost reduction measures aimed at their department, which will see a 15% head-count reduction among pilots and the remainder taking a 10% salary cut.

Evan Cullen, president of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association, said the result of the vote showed the workers’ massive commitment to the airline. But Aer Lingus cabin crew yesterday rejected cost-saving proposals.