Passenger figures take off for budget airlines

Low cost ariline easyJet reported a 3.4% increase in passenger numbers last month, compared with the same month a year ago.

That was despite a rise in cancellations affecting its European operations, predominantly due to adverse weather.

The budget carrier, which operates multiple routes from Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, flew 6.55m customers, compared with 6.33m the previous year.

That represents a 0.7% rise in the load factor, or the number of available seats sold, which stood at 93.4% last month, against 92.7% a year ago.

Rolling 12-month figures for the airline show an overall 8.6% rise in total passengers carried in the year to March 2018, compared with the same period a year go.

The airline has handled 82.477m in the year so far, compared with 75.933m in the year to March 2017.

That means its load factor for the year so far stands at 1.55%, against 75.933m last year.

Today’s passenger statistics do not include figures for easyJet’s Tegel Airport operation in Berlin.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “There were 1,274 cancellations in March 2018 – equivalent to 3% of planned capacity, and up on the 575 experienced in March 2017.

“Over 1,000 were caused by adverse weather conditions across Europe and a further 200 due to French and Italian industrial action.”

Earlier this week Ryanair, the Dublin-based budget carrier which also flies out of Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport reported a 6% jump in passenger figures for last month, at 10m customers, compared with 9.4m in March 2017.

It helped increase the load factor by 1% to 95% for last month.