The airlines of the Lufthansa Group transported some 7.8 million passengers in February, 12.4 per cent more than in the same period last year.

Total capacity for the month was up 8.5 per cent in available seat-kilometre terms and total traffic volume, measured in revenue passenger-kilometres, increased by 12.6 per cent despite one additional day in February 2016 due to the leap year.

The seat load factor improved accordingly, rising 2.7 percentage points to 75 per cent.

Cargo capacity increased 0.7 per cent year-on-year, while cargo sales were up 5.2 per cent in revenue tonne-kilometre terms.

Cargo load factor for the month showed a corresponding improvement, rising three percentage points.
Pricing excluding currency was negative compared to February 2016.

Network airlines Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines carried 6.1 million passengers in February, 2.6 per cent more than in the prior-year period.

Capacity increased by 0.4 per cent, while the sales volume was up 4.3 per cent, raising seat load factor by 2.8 percentage points.

Lufthansa German Airlines transported 4.3 million passengers in February, a 1.7 per cent increase to the same month last year.

The capacity in February was reduced by a slight 1.7 per cent, while the sales volume was up 2.7 per cent.

Seat load factor was 3.3 percentage points above its prior-year level.

The Lufthansa Group’s point-to-point airlines – Eurowings (including Germanwings) and Brussels Airlines – carried 1.7 million passengers in February.

Of these, 1.5 million were on short-haul and 0.2 million on long-haul flights.

This amounts to an increase of 70.4 per cent in comparison to the previous year, which alongside organic growth, is a result of the inclusion of Brussels Airlines and additional capacity through the wet lease agreement with airberlin.

February capacity was 109.4 per cent above its prior-year level, while February sales volume was up 117.2 per cent.

The seat load increased by 2.6-percentage-points.

On their short-haul services, the point-to-point carriers raised capacity about 68.1 per cent and increased their sales volumes by 76.5 per cent, resulting in a 3.2-percentage-point increase in seat load factor.

The seat load factor for their long-haul services decreased 9.6 percentage points, following a 242.6 per cent increase in capacity and a 207.6 per cent rise in sales volume, compared to the previous year.