KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd flew 29.86 million passengers in 2011, up 16.27% from 25.68 million the previous year.
The low-cost carrier carried 7.93 million passengers, a 12.3% increase, in 4QFY11 ended Dec 31 2011, compared with 7.06 million in the previous corresponding quarter in 2010.
AirAsia released its preliminary operating statistics yesterday. It said it carried 4.85 million passengers from Malaysia (2010: 4.44 million), 1.82 million from Thailand (2010: 1.62 million) and 1.25 million from Indonesia (2010: 1 million).
Its capacity also rose 13.5% to 37.5 million from 33 million while load factor increased to 80%, up 2%.
The airline said its available seat kilometres (ASK) was up 13.5% to 43,940 million from 38,704 million, while its revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) surged 18.5% to 35,091 million, from 29,613 million in the same period of 2010.
An analyst covering the airline sector reckons that the current uncertainty around the economy is unlikely to affect the budget airline’s passenger load as AirAsia has an “Asean-centric network”.
“They won’t have it as bad as the full-service carriers that have longer routes, especially to Europe. I think the Malaysian side will see increased frequency in high yield routes while there is a likelihood of new routes,” he said.
Reuters reported yesterday that Southeast Asian carriers are expected to cash in on the increasing interest from both business and leisure travellers in Myanmar, which in recent months has announced some democratic reforms.
According to the news agency Thai AirAsia is looking to add new routes into Myanmar’s inland cultural centres. Presently, AirAsia flies to Yangon from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
“We are considering opening more flights and destinations in Myanmar. We’re only operating to Yangon at the moment, but we’re looking at Mandalay and Bagan,” Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld was reported as saying.
This article appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, January 31, 2012.
The low-cost carrier carried 7.93 million passengers, a 12.3% increase, in 4QFY11 ended Dec 31 2011, compared with 7.06 million in the previous corresponding quarter in 2010.
AirAsia released its preliminary operating statistics yesterday. It said it carried 4.85 million passengers from Malaysia (2010: 4.44 million), 1.82 million from Thailand (2010: 1.62 million) and 1.25 million from Indonesia (2010: 1 million).
Its capacity also rose 13.5% to 37.5 million from 33 million while load factor increased to 80%, up 2%.
The airline said its available seat kilometres (ASK) was up 13.5% to 43,940 million from 38,704 million, while its revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) surged 18.5% to 35,091 million, from 29,613 million in the same period of 2010.
An analyst covering the airline sector reckons that the current uncertainty around the economy is unlikely to affect the budget airline’s passenger load as AirAsia has an “Asean-centric network”.
“They won’t have it as bad as the full-service carriers that have longer routes, especially to Europe. I think the Malaysian side will see increased frequency in high yield routes while there is a likelihood of new routes,” he said.
Reuters reported yesterday that Southeast Asian carriers are expected to cash in on the increasing interest from both business and leisure travellers in Myanmar, which in recent months has announced some democratic reforms.
According to the news agency Thai AirAsia is looking to add new routes into Myanmar’s inland cultural centres. Presently, AirAsia flies to Yangon from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
“We are considering opening more flights and destinations in Myanmar. We’re only operating to Yangon at the moment, but we’re looking at Mandalay and Bagan,” Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld was reported as saying.
This article appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, January 31, 2012.
