Ann: Preliminary Monthly Traffic and Capacity Sta, page-5

re: Ann: Preliminary Monthly Traffic and Capa... JB just keeps ticking the boxes at VA !
GLTA @ QF !


Virgin domestic passengers rise 8pc as Qantas numbers fall
BY: STEVE CREEDY From: The Australian June 04, 2012 4:05PM

VIRGIN Australia domestic passenger numbers increased by almost 8 per cent in April, well ahead of 3.1 per cent fall at Qantas.

But a big rise in capacity saw a drop in the percentage of seats filled on its planes.

A 9.4 per cent rise in traffic as measured in revenue passenger kilometres was outstripped by a 15.1 per cent rise in capacity to see the revenue load factor fall 4.1 percentage points to 77.1 per cent.

The airline said the high capacity growth was driven by a low base period last April as well as the introduction of widebody Airbus A330 aircraft and the replacement of Boeing 737-700s with bigger 737-800s. It expects full year capacity growth to be less than 10 per cent.

International passenger numbers fell 1.4 per cent and revenue load factors were down 3.4 points to 76.9 percent.

Virgin's group passenger figures were up by 6.7 per cent, above the equivalent Qantas figure of 4.6 per cent and the global average passenger demand for the month of 6.1 per cent. But an 8.5 per cent rise in group capacity save load fators down 3.6 points to 77 per cent.

The airline said April saw a continuation of positive yield growth and double -digit revenue growth for the domestic business.