British Airways sees a slump in air traffic as downturn hits
City PM
Published Jun 3, 2009 Reviewed Jun 30, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
British Airways' premium passenger numbers fell 17.2% in May.
17.2 % · premium passenger numbers
British Airways, flag carrier airline
Overall passenger numbers for British Airways were down 6.5% in May.
6.5 % · overall passenger numbers
British Airways, flag carrier airline
Ryanair carried 9% more passengers in May than a year earlier.
9 % · passenger growth
Ryanair, budget airline
British Airways cut its capacity by 5.3% last month and its load factor fell to 75.1%, a one‑percentage‑point drop.
5.3 % · capacity reduction1 % · load factor change75.1 % · load capacity
British Airways, flag carrier airline
British Airways passenger numbers had declined for 13 consecutive months before a 0.9% increase in April.
13 months · consecutive months of decline0.9 % · passenger number change
British Airways, flag carrier airline
British Airways reported that its premium passenger numbers for May tumbled 17.2 per cent.
17.2 % · premium passenger numbers
British Airways (BA), FLAG carrier
British Airways stated that its economy passenger numbers were down by 4.2 per cent.
4.2 % · economy passenger numbers
BA, FLAG carrier
British Airways reduced its capacity last month by 5.3 per cent.
5.3 % · capacity
BA, FLAG carrier
British Airways' load capacity dropped by one percentage point to 75.1 per cent.
1 percentage point · load capacity75.1 % · load capacity
BA, FLAG carrier
Ryanair reported that it had carried nine per cent more passengers for May than a year earlier.
9 % · passengers carried
Ryanair, budget airline
Ryanair's load factor increased to 81 per cent from 80 per cent in the same month of 2008.
81 % · load factor80 % · load factor
Ryanair, budget airline
British Airways reported that its overall passenger numbers decreased by 6.5 per cent.
6.5 % · overall passenger numbers
BA, FLAG carrier
FLAG carrier British Airways (BA) said yesterday its premium passenger numbers for May tumbled 17.2 per cent, as airlines struggle to fill seats during the downturn.
BA said its economy passenger numbers were down by only 4.2 per cent. Overall passenger numbers were down 6.5 per cent, suggesting the previous month’s rise may have been a blip.
The number had tumbled downwards for 13 straight months before a surge in travel over Easter led to a 0.9 per cent gain in April.
BA cut its capacity last month by 5.3 per cent, less than the drop in traffic. This meant its load capacity dropped one percentage point to 75.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, budget airline Ryanair said it had carried nine per cent more passengers for May than a year earlier.
Its load factor – the number of passengers as a proportion of seats available – rose to 81 per cent from 80 per cent in the same month of 2008.
