“Contrary to the general trend in the global aviation industry, I am very happy to be able to announce traffic statistics for the Austrian Airlines Group that are unremittingly positive. Our results for the month of September 2002, the 3rd Quarter and the first nine months of the year are altogether better than those achieved last year. By continuing to implement our strategies and programme of measures, we have clearly succeeded in winning market share in the face of extremely harsh market conditions,” commented Vagn Soerensen, Chief Executive Officer of the Austrian Airlines Group, on the results achieved.

Highlights of Traffic Statistics for September 2002: With a figure of 907,039 passengers, passenger volume in September 2002 increased by 6.9 % compared to September 2001. By employing a powerful mix of target-oriented management, offensive marketing activities and innovative fare concepts, the Group succeeded in increasing revenue passenger kilometers by 17.1 %, while the availability of seat kilometers rose by just 9.6 %. This resulted in an outstanding rise of 5.0 % in the total passenger load factor to 78.5 %.

The Group’s best ever Quarterly Traffic Statistics (July - September 2002): With a transportation performance of 2,755,000 passengers, representing an increase of 3.3 % compared to last year the Austrian Airlines Group managed to achieve the strongest Quarterly Traffic Statistics in its long history. Compared to the previous year, the total load factor for scheduled and charter flights increased by 1.7 percentage points during this period, to reach 79.0 %.

Overall Traffic Statistics January - September 2002: At 6,841,313 passengers, total transportation volume for the first nine months of the year was 1.6 % above the figure for the previous year. Such compelling levels of growth demonstrate, that the Austrian Airlines Group has already managed to compensate for the enduring negative consequences of 9/11. Due to the Group’s stringent capacity management, total production measured in available seat kilometers has been driven down by a cumulative figure of 2.3 %, while revenue passenger kilometers have already reached the level for the previous year. As a result, the total load factor increased by 1.7 percentage points to 74.0 %. At 114,031 the total number of flights produced from January to end-September was 1.4 % above the figure for the comparable period last year.

——-