SWISS sets new yearly record for passengers carried, but business remains tough and tense in earnings terms

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) transported a total of 15,816,469 passengers in 2012 – the largest annual volume in the history of Swiss aviation. Greater passenger numbers do not necessarily translate into enhanced earnings, though; and SWISS’s earnings performance continues to suffer from high oil prices and the downward pressure on fares.

SWISS’s passenger volume for 2012 was a 3.3% improvement on the 15,317,275 of the previous year. Total annual capacity was 4.7% up on 2011 in available-seat-kilometre (ASK) terms. Systemwide seat load factor for the year stood at 82.9% (compared to 81.8% for 2011). And the 150,860 flights operated in 2012 were a 0.5% increase on the prior year.

Seat load factor for SWISS’s intercontinental network amounted 2012 to 87.1%, a 1.4-percentage-point improvement on 2011. Total traffic volume rose 7.5% in revenue-passenger-kilometre (RPK) terms, on total ASK capacity that was a 5.8% increase on the previous twelve months.

2012 ASK capacity for SWISS’s European network was a 2.4% increase on the previous year. Total RPK traffic volume rose by 3.0%, and European seat load factor stood at 74.7% (compared to 74.3% for 2011).

Swiss WorldCargo achieved a cargo load factor (by volume) for 2012 of 79.3%, a 0.8-percentage-point improvement on the 78.5% of the previous year. Annual cargo sales were raised 8.9% in revenue-tonne-kilometre terms.

A total of 1,183,657 passengers travelled with SWISS in December 2012 (compared to 1,194,594 in the prior-year period). Systemwide seat load factor for the month stood at 79.7% (December 2011: 79.5%). Cargo load factor slipped 0.6 percentage points to 82.3% (December 2011: 82.9%).