LAN Airlines reports May 2008 Traffic

LAN Airlines' system passenger traffic for May 2008 increased 13.5% as capacity rose 8.9%. As a result, the company’s load factor increased 2.9 points to 71.6%. International passenger traffic accounted for approximately 87% of total passenger traffic.

International passenger traffic for May rose 12.3% as capacity increased 8%. Accordingly, the international passenger load factor for the month increased 2.7 points to 71.7%. Long-haul capacity grew due to an increase in operations to the United States, Europe, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. Short-haul capacity grew mainly as a result of an expansion in the Argentine and Peruvian domestic markets.

Domestic passenger traffic in Chile rose 22.3% as capacity increased 15.2%. As a consequence, the domestic load factor for the month increased 4.1 points to 71.1%. Growth in domestic traffic was stimulated by the company’s new business model for short haul operations. 

Cargo traffic increased 12.5% as capacity rose 16.2%. As a consequence, the airline's cargo load factor decreased 2.4 points to 71.6%, affected mainly by higher capacity on regional routes. Cargo traffic grew mainly as a result of the continued strength in import markets, especially in Brazil, and an increase in wet lease capacity (ACMI-aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) in preparation of the arrival of the Boeing 777 cargo fleet.

During May, 86.1% 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 an increase of 1 point compared to the same month of 2007.

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