Aer Lingus passenger numbers fell by 13.6 per cent in the year to the end of February, according to new figures published today.
The airlines said the number of long-haul passengers it carried totalled 38,000 last month, down 17.4 per cent compared to the same month a year earlier. The numbers of short-haul passengers carried was 574,000, down 13.6 per cent on an annual basis.
Aer Lingus' total load factor - or seats filled on each aircraft - decreased by 2.5 points over the year to the end of February to 67.4 per cent.
Short haul booked load factor was 69.9 per cent, a decrease of 0.9 points on the same month a year earlier, with capacity decreasing by 16.3 per cent as a result of the industrial dispute at the start of the month and planned year-on-year reductions at London Gatwick and Cork.
Long haul booked load factor was 61.7 per cent, a decrease of 6 points on February 2010, with capacity decreasing by 7.5 per cent as a result of industrial dispute and reductions at Shannon.
