Brussels Airlines records 16.6% passenger growth in August

In August Brussels Airlines attracted 137,282 more passengers compared to the same period last year, representing a growth of 16.6%. The Seat Load Factor increased by 1.5 percentage points to a total of 86.5%. The pressure on the ticket price remains high, however.

During the month of August, Brussels Airlines welcomed 962,439 passengers on board its flights, an increase of 16.6% compared to August 2017. The strongest passenger growth was registered on the African network (+31.4%), thanks to the addition of many new holiday destinations in North Africa in cooperation with Thomas Cook, Neckermann and Pegase. The number of passengers travelling on European flights rose by 15.3%. On the Asian flights, 11.4% more customers chose to fly Brussels Airlines. The number of people traveling to the Middle East (Tel Aviv) increased by 9.4%. Compared to the same month last year, 8.7% more customers were registered on the North American network.

Brussels Airlines operated 6.9% more flights, but the Available Seat-Kilometers (ASK) increased even more (+19.9%) due to the replacement of AVRO jets (100 seats) by bigger Airbus aircraft (180 seats) and the fact that the average flight distance has grown by 5% due to the addition of several holiday destinations in North Africa). The Seat Load Factor climbed from 85% in August last year to 86.5% in August 2018 (+1.5pp.). Thanks to its increased offer, Brussels Airlines was able to continue offering competitive fares and attract even more customers. This means, however, that the pressure on the yield remains very high.

The Cargo Load Factor decreased slightly (-4.5 percentage points) to an average of 61.5%, due to the fast growing flight offer. The transported cargo volume amounted to 3,690 tons. The Revenue Ton-Kilometers (RTK) grew by 19.3%.

These statistics do not include the passengers on board of the many charter flights Brussels Airlines operates on behalf of tour operators.

 

August 2018

August 2017

Difference in %

Flights

7,283

6,810

6.9%

Total Passengers

962,439

825,157

16.6%

-- Passengers Europe

762,962

661,718

15.3%

-- Passengers Africa

124,045

94,376

31.4%

-- Passengers North America

42,132

38,776

8.7%

-- Passengers Middle East

23,863

21,812

9.4%

-- Passengers Asia

9,437

8,475

11.4%

Available seat-kilometers  (ASK)

2,114,052,328

1,763,039,541

19.9%

Revenue Passenger-Kilometers  (RPK)

1,828,286,017

1,498,576,922

22.0%

Passenger Load Factor (%)

86.5%

85%

1.5 pp

Available Ton-Kilometers (ATK)   

246,949

211,548

16.7%

Revenue Ton-Kilometers  (RTK)

202,225

169,475

19.3%

Cargo Load Factor (%)

61.5%

66%

-4.5 pp

These results are based on figures currently available

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About Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines is the home carrier of Belgium and one of the four network airlines of the Lufthansa Group. It connects the European capital from Brussels Airport with over 85 destinations, 17 of which are in Sub Saharan Africa. The company employs more than 3,300 people and operates 43 aircraft.

Brussels Airlines aims to emit 50% less CO2 by 2030 compared to 2019 and plans to be carbon neutral by 2050. The airline is participating in the Stargate Project led by Brussels Airport and is therefore part of the testing ground for sustainable aviation at its home base. In addition, the airline signed the Circular Economy agreement of the Antwerp Management School in 2021. The airline was the first to transport Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through the CEPS-pipeline connecting Brussels Airport early 2023. By end 2024, Brussels Airlines will have welcomed five state-of-the-art Airbus A320neo allowing the airline to significantly lower its CO2- and noise-emissions on its medium-haul network.

As an ambassador of its country, Brussels Airlines brings the world to Belgium and the best of Belgium to the world, among others through collaborations with Belgian Star Chefs, Belgian culinary products and the Belgian Icons, specially painted aircraft that honour a Belgian iconic person, team or event to promote Belgian culture worldwide.

More information on brusselsairlines.com 


About Star Alliance

The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless service. Since inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a focus on improving customer experience across the Alliance journey.

Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 10,000 daily flights to almost 1,200 airports in 184 countries.

More information on staralliance.com

Contact

b.house Zone General Aviation - Airport Building 26 1831 Diegem

+32 2 723 89 90

[email protected]

www.brusselsairlines.com