Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM Wednesday reported increases in traffic, capacity and load factor for the month of November.
Meanwhile, cargo traffic declined 8.1 percent for a 2.3 percent drop in capacity. Cargo load factor decreased 4.3 point to 68.2 percent.
Passenger traffic in the month improved 2.5 percent to 16.85 billion revenue pax kilometrres, or RPKs, from 16.44 billion RPKs in the same month last year.
Capacity measured in available seat-kilometers, or ASKs, inched up 1.7 percent to 21.14 billion from 20.78 billion in the prior year.Load factor in November grew 0.6 points to 79.7 percent from 79.1 percent in the preceding year.
Air France said the slight rise in unit revenue per available seat kilometer, or RASK, excluding currency was insufficient to offset the rise in the fuel bill, while volatility of activity remains high.
The company noted that it has restated data for the passenger division for last year to facilitate comparisons as passenger business of Martinair is included from this month. Also, traffic was affected by a strike by Air France cabin crew totaling 5 days. The impact of the strike on the operating result is estimated at 28 million euros, it said.
The European network, including France, recorded a 4.3 percent rise in capacity, with a 3.6 percent growth in traffic. Load factor declined 0.5 points to 70.1 percent.
On the Americas network, traffic rose 6.2 percent for a 3.4 percent increase in capacity. Load factor was up 2.2 points to 84.2 percent. In the Asia network, traffic declined 0.3 percent for stable capacity. Load factor decreased 0.3 points to 82.8 percent.
Traffic on the Africa and Middle East network declined 0.5 percent for capacity down 2.3 percent, leading to a 1.3 point increase in load factor to 77 percent. Caribbean and Indian Ocean network traffic slightly improved 0.3 percent for 1.2 percent increase in capacity. Load factor declined 0.7 points to 83,1 percent.
For the group, the number of passengers carried increased 2.6 percent to 5.87 million from 5.72 million a year earlier.
In Paris, Air France shares are currently trading at 4.53 euros, up 4.3 percent, on a volume of 1.63 million shares.
In US, AFLYY.PK closed Tuesday's regular trading at $5.88.
