IAG November traffic rises on good results at British Airways
INTERNATIONAL Airlines Group (IAG) yesterday posted a rise in November traffic, as strong growth at British Airways again made up for weakness at Spain’s Iberia.
Traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, rose by 3.6 per cent versus November 2011, while passenger load factor – a measure of how well it fills its planes – was up 1.9 percentage points at 77.2 per cent, it said yesterday.
IAG said its first and business-class travel – the most profitable part of its passenger business – rose 4.7 per cent, while non-premium traffic was also up 3.4 per cent.
British Airways’ November traffic was up 7.6 per cent compared to a 5.8 per cent fall at Iberia.
IAG has seen worsening economic conditions in Spain hit its performance in recent months, undermining strength in long-haul travel out of London.
Iberia’s ground and cabin crew last month said they would stage a series of strikes in December, disrupting the holiday travel season to protest against massive job cuts.
IAG last month unveiled plans to axe about 4,500 jobs, or a quarter of Iberia’s workforce, and cut capacity in a bid to make it more competitive.