November 2008 European LCC Stats

EasyJet and Ryanair had decent Novembers—decent at any rate given the poor economic climate and the difficulties airlines are facing.

EasyJet carried 2.99 million passengers in November 2008 against its 2.89 million passenger tally in November 2007, a rise of almost three and a half percent. Load factor—the number of seats filled by passengers as a proportion of the number of seats available to passengers—also improved, from 80.8 percent to 83.9 percent (+3.1 percent). Ryanair's passenger tally in November rose 11 percent against last November's numbers, from 3.89 million to 4.23 million, while load factor increased one percent, from 78 percent to 79 percent.

Meanwhile, less impressive numbers have emerged from Central European LCC Sky Europe. The airline saw its passenger tally fall in November 2008 against November 2007 by 22.8 percent (to under 220,000 passengers); its load factor dipped 1.2 percent, to 68.4 percent.