SWISS carries more passengers in the first quarter of 2011

Swiss International Air Lines transported 3 432 658 passengers in the first three months of 2011, a 5.9% increase on the 3 242 591 of the same period last year. SWISS raised its available-seat-kilometre (ASK) capacity by a substantial 11.8% for the quarter; and revenue-passenger- kilometre (RPK) traffic volumes were also an 8.9% improvement on the prior-year period. Total flights operated were also up: the 36 956 flights performed were a 7.1% increase on January-to-March 2010. Systemwide seat load factor for the period stood at 76.4%, slightly down on the 78.3% recorded for the same period a year ago.

Seat load factor for SWISS’s intercontinental services amounted to 81.2%, a 2.4-percentage-point decline on the first quarter of 2010. RPK traffic volumes were up 9.6%, on ASK capacity that was a 12.9% increase on the prior-year period.

ASK capacity on European services was raised 9.7% from its prior-year levels, while RPK traffic volumes for the period were increased by 7.5%. Seat load factor on European services stood at 67.1%, a slight decline on the 68.4% posted for the first quarter of 2010.

The airfreight business of Swiss WorldCargo suffered a minor decline in the first three months of the year. Cargo load factor (by volume) stood at 81.1%, 2.0 percentage points down on the 83.1% of January-to-March 2010. Total cargo tonne-kilometres sold did, however, show a 9.2% increase on the prior-year period.

For March 2011 SWISS carried 1 242 726 passengers, a 4.4% improvement on the 1 190 823 of the same month last year. The 77.2% systemwide seat load factor was 4.0 percentage points down on the 81.2% of March 2010, owing also to the political unrest in North Africa and the uncertainties in Japan. Cargo load factor (by volume) also suffered a 3.4-percentage-point decline, from the 87.1% of March 2010 to 83.7%. Total cargo tonne-kilometres sold increased by 9.7%.