AirAsia traffic surges in Q2

AirAsia saw a strong rise in traffic in the second quarter of 2013, as new aircraft deliveries allowed it to add new flights.

The low-cost carrier’s four regional subsidiaries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines) carried a combined total of 9.99 million passengers in April-June 2013, 20% more than the same period last year. This was driven by an 18% expansion of seat capacity, as the grouip’s fleet grew from 102 to 121 aircraft. The group’s average load factor also increased, from 79% to 80%.

The group’s main Malaysian unit carried 5.51m passengers during the quarter, 12% up year-on-year. This result was in line with a 12% expansion of capacity, causing load factors to remain unchanged at 80%. Thai AirAsia saw traffic surged 25% to 2.42m passengers, ahead of a 20% rise in capacity. This allowed load factors to climb three percentage points to 82%. Meanwhile, AirAsia Indonesia’s passenger traffic jumped 33%, on account of a 32% rise in capacity. Load factors increased to 79%.

During the quarter, three new routes were opened, Medan–Jakarta, Surabaya–Singapore and Jakarta–Johor Bahru, while extra frequencies were added on several existing routes, including those to and from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Bintulu, Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia, Tiruchirappalli in India, Lombok, Pekanbaru, Surabaya, Jakarta and Makassar in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Wuhan in China and Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand.

The group’s 18-month-old Clark-based carrier, AirAsia Philippines, carried 140,000 passengers with load factors of 74%. AirAsia Japan’s figures were excluded from the group result, following the termination of the joint venture with ANA.