Budget airlines easyJet PLC (LON:EZJ) and Wizz Air Holdings PLC (LON:WIZZ) reported increases in passenger numbers and load factors during July 2018.
FTSE 100 constituent easyJet reported a 4.5% increase in passengers for July to around 8.54mln compared to the same month last year, with its load factor creeping up 0.1 percentage points to 96.9%.
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While the performance did show growth from the same period a year ago, the airline noted that it had experienced a number of cancellations driven by industrial action, air traffic control restrictions, a runway closure at Gatwick airport and adverse weather conditions.
In the FTSE 250, Wizz Air said its passenger numbers had risen 22.9% to around 3.47mln in the period, with its load factor moving up 0.8 percentage points to 95.4%.
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Wizz also noted a 21.8% increase in its capacity to around 3.64mln in the period, driven partly by the delivery of two new Airbus A320 family aircraft, expanding its fleet to 104.
In terms of the rolling 12 months ending July 2018, easyJet reported a 6.2% increase in passengers to around 83.6mln and a 1.4 percentage point rise in load factor to 93.6%, while Wizz Air’s passenger numbers grew 23.1 % to around 31.7mln and its load factor by 1 percentage point to 91.7%.
In early morning trading Monday, easyJet shares were down 0.1% at 1,547.5p, while Wizz Air shares were up 0.8% at 3,380p.