SANTIAGO, Chile--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LAN Airlines S.A. and its subsidiaries, (“LAN” or “the Company”) (NYSE: LFL / IPSA: LAN), one of the leading airlines in Latin America, today reported its preliminary monthly traffic statistics and punctuality indicators for May 2012 compared to May 2011.
System passenger traffic increased 14.9% as capacity rose 8.4%. As a result, the Company’s load factor for the month increased 4.6 points to 82.3%. International passenger traffic accounted for approximately 69.3% of the month’s total passenger traffic.
Domestic passenger traffic in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia rose 16.7%, as capacity increased 13.1%. As a consequence, the domestic passenger load factor increased 2.4 points to 76.6%. International passenger traffic rose 14.1%, while capacity increased 6.3%. Accordingly, the international passenger load factor for the month increased 5.9 points to 85.2%. International capacity expansion was mainly driven by an increase in operations on certain regional routes, as well as routes to Mexico and the Caribbean, partially offset by reduced capacity on routes to Europe.
Cargo traffic fell 2.8% as capacity decreased 3.6%. As a consequence, the cargo load factor increased 0.6 points to 69.1%. The decrease in cargo capacity was a result of no additional freighters being incorporated into the Company’s fleet since January 2011, in addition to decreased availability in the bellies of passenger aircraft. The decrease in traffic was driven by lower demand to Latin America.
During May, 87.0% of the Company’s total flights left on time based on a fifteen-minute standard (all departures leaving within fifteen minutes of the scheduled departure time are considered as “on-time”). This represented no variation compared to April 2011.
About LAN
LAN Airlines is one of the leading passenger and cargo airlines in Latin America. The company and its affiliates serve over 100 destinations around the world through an extensive network that offers full connectivity within Latin America, while also linking the region with North America, Europe and the South Pacific, as well as 70 additional international destinations through its various code share agreements. LAN Airlines and its affiliates have a leading position in their respective domestic markets of Chile and Peru as well as an important presence in the Argentinean, Ecuadorian and Colombian domestic markets.
Currently, LAN Airlines and its affiliates operate 132 passenger aircraft while LAN Cargo and its respective affiliates have a fleet of 14 dedicated freighters. The Company has one of the youngest fleets in the world which has meant greater efficiency and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, reflecting its strong commitment to the protection of the environment.
LAN is one of the few Investment Grade airlines in the world (BBB). The company’s world class quality standards enabled its membership in oneworld™, an alliance of leading global airlines of which LAN has been a member for more than 10 years. For more information please visit www.lan.com or www.oneworldalliance.com.