KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X said it carried 1.1 million passengers in the fourth quarter of 2024 (4Q24), 20% more than in the same quarter in the previous year, in line with the budget carrier’s 20% increase in seat capacity to over 1.3 million.
According to the airline, all but one of the 18 A330s in its fleet were operational as at end-December 2024.
In its operating statistics report for the quarter, AirAsia X said its passenger load factor remained unchanged at 82% while available seat per kilometre (ASK) capacity increased 21% y-o-y at 5,794 million.
Revenue seat per kilometre (RPK) rose 23% to 4,711 million.
“In terms of network for 4Q24, AirAsia X launched flights to Chongqing in China and Nairobi in Kenya, marking its maiden venture into the African region.
“Frequency was further enhanced in select markets for the peak travel season, with additional flights introduced for routes in Australia, Japan and South Korea,” it said.
For the entire year, the carrier’s PLF rose three percentage points to 83% from the previous year.
Its seat capacity grew 35% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 4.8 million seats, while the number of passengers carried surged 41% to over four million during the year.
The number of flights in 2024 increased 35% y-o-y to 13,262, resulting in a 31% increase in ASK capacity to 20,369 million for the year.
Meanwhile, associate airline AirAsia X Thailand (TAAX) carried 463,463 passengers in 4Q24, which represented a 20% increase over the same quarter in 2023.
PLF stood at 78% during the quarter, underpinned by the move of TAAX’s operational hub from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Mueang International Airport beginning October 2024.
“The relocation availed one-off service recovery options to passengers who wish to change their travel plans during the period, and is expected to return to standard levels in the coming quarter,” said AirAsia X.
Passenger seat capacity rose 31% y-o-y with the addition of two A330 aircraft during the quarter, which drove ASK capacity higher to 2,545 million.
Over the full year, TAAX registered a PLF of 83% while seat capacity rose 21% y-o-y to 1,940,174 seats.
The Thai airline, whose fleet of 10 A330s is fully operational, carried a total of 1.6 million passengers in 2024, a 21% increase over the previous year.
-TheStar