Aer Lingus passenger traffic falls

Aer Lingus carried just over one million passengers in July, 8.7 per cent fewer than in the same month last year.

Both short and long haul passenger numbers fell during the month as capacity was reduced by 13.9 per cent. Some 99,000 long haul travellers flew with the airline in July, down 12.4 per cent on last year, while short-haul passengers totalled 921,000, or 8.3 per cent fewer.

However, overall load factor, a measure of how full flights are, was up 85.8 per cent, 3.5 points higher than last year. The long haul load factor was 89.8 per cent, up 12.8 per cent compared to last year as capacity was curtailed by 27.9 per cent.

The short haul load factor fell 1.6 per cent to 84 per cent, despite capacity decreasing by 5.3 per cent.

To date, Aer Lingus has carried 5.6 million passengers, a figure that is down almost 10 per cent on the same period in 2009.

Rival airline Ryanair recently reported passenger traffic of 7.6 million for the month, a record for the carrier and a rise of 13 per cent compared to last year. Its load factor fell 1 per cent to 88 per cent for the month.

Aer Lingus is now facing the outcome of a ballot for industrial action by cabin crew, which is expected to be known this week. Member of trade union impact have been voting in a row about how a €97 million cost-saving plan agreed in March will be implemented.

The current row centres on revised working hours, which were to be increased to 850 flying hours per year under the restructuring plan agreed last March. However, there has been disagreement on how this would work in practice, with the union claiming the airline has changed working hours and terms and conditions of employment for cabin crew.

The airline has promised that no flights would be disrupted if the industrial action goes ahead.