10773 AirlingPDF - Aer Lingus

AER LINGUS GROUP PLCOperating performanceThe airline’s major route groups showed strong profit performance in 2000. Passenger loadfactors increased by two percentage points to 76%.Transatlantic traffic rose by 21% with passenger carryings rising to a record 1.1 million.This increase was facilitated by the introduction of a seventh Airbus A330, supplementedby a peak season leased MD-11 aircraft. Over 29,000 tonnes of airfreight was carried. TheBaltimore/Washington service was successfully introduced and the expansion of frequenciesbetween Ireland and the US contributed strongly to the performance of this route group.Services between Ireland and Los Angeles increased from three to seven per week; on theChicago route services rose from seven to nine per week, and the Boston schedule expandedto include twice daily flights during the peak season period.Significant product and service developments are being implemented on the Transatlantic routenetwork during 2001 including on-board product enhancements and improved schedule timings.An aircraft enhancement programme, including new Premier seats, an expanded inflightentertainment programming schedule and seatback video availability in economy class hascommenced. Delivery has also been taken of an eighth Airbus A330 aircraft.UK/London traffic performed ahead of 1999 and accounted for 3.6 million passengers (1999:3.5 m).London Gatwick was opened as a new route in January 2000 as part of a three airport strategyincluding London Heathrow and London City. This strategy enables the airline to serve all majormarket segments – business, leisure, point-to-point and interlining. Increases in the schedules onthe Dublin/Glasgow route were introduced in Winter 2000.The successful introduction of direct Aer Lingus services to Munich and Stockholm marked 2000as a year of profitable expansion in Europe. Overall traffic was up 7.8% to 1.4 million passengerswith further significant developments achieved in code-sharing arrangements with BritishAirways. New code-shares were agreed on key routes within Europe including Berlin, Munich,Vienna, Bologna and Nice.Additional capacity was introduced on the Ireland/Amsterdam routes while increased frequencieswere effected on the Milan service.Brand investment was continued in 2000 with a new Gold Circle Club lounge opened inShannon and a major re-development of the London-Heathrow lounge. Heathrow also saw theaddition of a new lounge for Premier customers resulting in over 7,000 square feet of loungespace for Aer Lingus customers.8