International Airlines Group (IAG) have carried 112.9 million passengers in 2018, up 7.7% from the previous year, IAG announced on January 8. It is the first time the five major airlines within IAG have cleared 110m passengers.
Capacity increased 7.1% to 324.808m Available Seat Kilometers.
Strongest growth happened to Iberia and low-cost airline LEVEL, with Revenue Passengers Kilometers (RPK) + 11.7% to 61.354m. The two airlines also had the highest load factor at 85.7%, +1.6% over 2017.
Aer Lingus and Vueling both saw RPKs increase by 9.8%. At Spanish LCC Vueling to 31.973m, at the Irish airline to 23.516m. Load factor at Aer Lingus dropped slightly by 0.1%.
IAG’s biggest member, British Airways, realized a 3.3% increase in RPK to 152.177m, with load factors +0.7% to 82.5%.
Cargo tonne kilometers grew in December, but over twelve months slipped 0.9% to 5.713m. IAG will publish its full-year 2018 results on February 28.
Richard Schuurman
Active as journalist since 1987, starting with regional newspaper Zwolse Courant. Grand Prix reporter in 1997 at Dutch monthly Formule 1, general reporter Lelystad/Flevoland at De Stentor/Dagblad Flevoland, from 2002 until June 2021 radio/tv reporter/presentor with Omroep Flevoland.
Since mid-2016 freelance aviation journalist, since June 2021 fully dedicated to aviation. Reporter/editor AirInsight since December 2018. Contributor to Airliner World, Piloot & Vliegtuig. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
