British Airways said today its August passenger traffic fell 0.7 per cent after a strike disrupted its flights at London's Heathrow Airport.
BA also said volatile fuel prices and exchange rates made forecasting more challenging than usual but did not change its previous market forecasts. Market conditions remain broadly unchanged, BA said.
The airline said in a statement its load factor, which measures how efficiently it is filling its planes, was up 0.2 percentage points to 77.9 per cent in August.
The results were hit by a strike by BA ground staff last month. More than 100,000 BA passengers were stranded when staff went on strike in sympathy with sacked workers at the company's catering firm.
More than 700 flights were cancelled, disrupting services at the peak of the summer holiday season.
BA did not announce any increase in its fuel surcharges although the airline has not ruled out the possibility.
BA shares were trading 0.3 per cent weaker at 279-1/4 pence this afternoon. The stock was trading 0.2 per cent weaker ahead of the traffic announcement.