SWISS sees decline in first-half seat load factors

First-half seat load factor for SWISS’s European network remained relatively stable at 71.7% (compared to 70.9% for the same period last year), while intercontinental seat load factor slipped a substantial 4.6 percentage points from 82.5% to 77.9%.

SWISS carried 6 514 909 passengers in the first six months of 2009 (compared to 6 448 605 for January-to-June 2008) and operated 66 752 flights, a 1.5% increase on the 65 774 of the prior-year period. In revenue-passenger-kilometre (RPK) terms, traffic volumes on SWISS’s intercontinental services suffered a 5.9% decline. Total intercontinental production for the period saw a 0.4% reduction in available-seat-kilometre (ASK) terms.

First-half ASK production on European routes was a 4.6% increase on January-to-June 2008. European traffic volumes also increased, and were 5.8% above their prior-year level in RPK terms. The airfreight business of Swiss WorldCargo suffered an 18.6- percentage-point decline in its cargo load factor (by volume) for the first-half period, from the 84.0% of 2008 to 65.4%. SWISS’s systemwide seat load factor for June 2009 amounted to 82.7%, up 1.2 percentage points from the 81.5% of 2008. The improved loadings were achieved through actions taken on the revenue management front in response to the present economic situation. European seat load factor for the month stood at 82.4% (2008: 73.7%), while intercontinental seat load factor amounted to 82.9% (2008: 85.2%). SWISS carried 1 245 492 passengers in June, compared to 1 136 502 for the same month last year.