AirAsia traffic up 12.3pc in 4Q

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd announced that it flew 7.931 million
passengers in the fourth quarter of its financial year ended Dec
31,2011, a 12.3 per cent increase over the 7.063 million passengers in
the corresponding quarter in 2010.

In its preliminary
operating statistics released today, the leading low-cost carrier said
that of the passengers carried in the quarter reviewed, 4.855million
were from Malaysia (2010: 4.440 million), 1.821 million from
Thailand(2010: 1.622 million) and 1.255 million from Indonesia (2010:
1.001 million).

In 2011, the group recorded a total of 29.860
million passengers, up from the previous year's 25.681 million. Its
capacity jumped 13.5 per cent to 37.506 million from 33.058 million, and
load factor increased by two per cent to 80 per cent from 78 per cent
previously.

AirAsia also said available seat kilometres (ASK)
rose 13.5 per cent from 38,704 million to 43,940 million, while revenue
passenger kilometres (RPK)surged 18.5 per cent to 35,091 million, from
29,613 million in the same period of 2010. -- BERNAMA