Aer Lingus passenger numbers decline in January

Aer Lingus has reported a decline passenger numbers for January, with short haul traffic down 7.6 per cent, and overall numbers down 5.7 per cent.

The airline carried 614,000 passengers in last month, compared with 651,000 in January 2014, reflecting a planned reduction in short haul capacity.

Aer Lingus said the reduction in short haul capacity during January relates to planned network adjustments “to protect margins given seasonal demand conditions”.

Short haul traffic for January was 474,000 passengers compared to 513,000 during the same month last year.

Long haul traffic continued to increase, up by 22 per cent to 72,000 passengers last month, compared to 59,000 in January 2014.

The overall load factor for the month was up 2.4 per cent to 68.9 per cent.