Number of airBaltic passengers grows by 33% at its Riga base in February

10.03.2010 06:09 | Latvia

Author: Janis Vanags
Source: A/S Air Baltic Corporation

Latvian airline airBaltic carried overall 186,512 passengers in February 2010 (from Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn), representing 27% more than in the same month in 2009, when airBaltic transported 147,425 passengers. In February of this year, the number of passengers at the base of airBaltic in Riga has increased by 33% compared to the same period last year.

During the first two months of 2010, airBaltic transported a total of 385,597 passengers, or 29% more than during the same period in 2009, when the total number of passengers was 324,622.

In February, airBaltic operated 3,565 flights, or 29% more than the 2,770 flights of February 2009. Between January and the end of February, the airline provided 7,576 flights in all.

The airline’s load factor, which represents the number of passengers as a proportion of the number of available seats, in February 2010 was at a level of 61%, or 1% point less than in February 2009. During the first two months of 2009 airline’s load factor was at a level of 59%.

Despite bad weather conditions and transport-related strikes across Europe last month, the 15-minute flight punctuality indicator for airBaltic was at a level of 86.6% in February 2010. This means that more than 86 of every 100 airBaltic flights in February departed at the planned time or with a delay of no more than 15 minutes.

	February ‘10	February ‘09	Change
Number of flights	3,565	2,770	29%
Number of passengers	186,512	147,425	27%
Load Factor	61%	62%	- 1% p.p.
	January-February ‘10	January-February ‘09	Change
Number of flights	7,576	6,377	19%
Number of passengers	385,597	324,622	19%
Load Factor	59%	59%	0% p.p.

airBalticin brief:

AIR BALTIC CORPORATION (airBaltic) is a joint stock company that was established in 1995. The primary shareholders are the Latvian state, with 52.6% of stock, and SIA Baltijas aviācijas sistēmas, with 47.2% of stock. The airBaltic fleet consists of 31 aircraft – ten Boeing 737-500, eight Boeing 737-300, two Boeing 757-200, and eleven Fokker 50 airplanes. airBaltic offers nonstop flights from three Baltic capital cities – Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn. airBaltic received the title of Airline of the Year 2009/2010 (Gold Award) from the European Regions Airline Association. airBaltic is the winner of Air Transport World Phoenix Award 2010 – a global recognition of excellence in restructuring business.