Brussels Airlines registered 5.3% passenger growth in May

Brussels Airlines welcomed 5.3% more passengers in May, compared to the same period last year. The growth was projected to be higher, but two days of social actions forced the airline to cancel 557 flights. Nevertheless, compared to the same month last year, the number of passengers traveling with Brussels Airlines rose from 839,320 to 883,784.

Compared to the same month last year, Brussels Airlines performed 7.3% less flights in May. The decrease in flights is caused by the social actions of the airline’s pilots on May 14th and May 16th, causing the cancellation of 557 flights. However, the number of passengers traveling on a Brussels Airlines flight rose by 5.3% compared to May 2017.

On the European network the airline registered a passenger growth of 4.8%, while the number of passengers travelling on North American flights rose by 1.3%. Compared to the same month last year, 2.7% more customers have chosen Brussels Airlines for flights to and from the Middle East. The strongest increase was noted on the African network, where 14.1% more guests boarded a Brussels Airlines flight. The number of people traveling with Brussels Airlines to Asia decreased by 13.2%, due to a lower flight offer. In May 2018 the airline operated 40 flights to Mumbai, compared to 44 flights in May 2017.

Despite the decrease in operated flights, the Available Seat-Kilometers (ASK) increased by 3.9%, due to the replacement of the last AVRO jets (100 seats) by bigger Airbus aircraft (180 seats). The Passenger Load Factor climbed up from 76.5% in May last year to 80.3% in May 2018. 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 ticket prices remains very high.

The Cargo Load Factor increased by 4.3 percentage points to an average of 69.7%, while the Revenue Ton-Kilometers (RTK) grew by 11.0%. The transported cargo volume amounted to 4,446 tons.

                     

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

 

May 2018

 May 2017

difference in %

Flights

7,142

7,701

-7.3%

Total Passengers

883,784

839,320

5.3%

-- Passengers Europe

733,234

699,654

4.8%

-- Passengers Africa

90,712

79,528

14.1%

-- Passengers North America

33,480

33,049

1.3%

-- Passengers Middle East

18,392

17,908

2.7%

-- Passengers Asia

7,966

9,181

-13.2%

Available seat-kilometers  (ASK)

1,883,465,284

1,812,135,939

3.9%

Revenue Passenger-Kilometers  (RPK)

1,512,917,751

1,386,237,524

9.1%

Passenger Load Factor (%)

80.3%

76.5%

3.8 %pt

Available Ton-Kilometers (ATK)   

219,776

216,130

1.7%

Revenue Ton-Kilometers  (RTK)

174,203

162,034

7.5%

Cargo Load Factor (%)

69.7%

65.4%

4.3 %pt

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 90 destinations, 18 of which are in Sub Saharan Africa. The company employs more than 3,500 people and operates 44 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

Established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, the Star Alliance network was founded on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey.

Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 17,500 daily flights to over 1,150 airports in almost 190 countries.

Star Alliance Press Office: +65 8729 6691; mediarelations@staralliance.com
More information on staralliance.com

Contact

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

+32 2 723 89 90

press@brusselsairlines.com

www.brusselsairlines.com