“Aircraft load factor is flat from the same period of last year, in the context where flight capacity rose by 10%,” said Tarom officials.
Flight capacity rose as the carrier introduced new destinations from Henri Coanda (Otopeni) airport, such as Prague, Geneva, Moscow and others.
Unlike the other airlines, Tarom also operates local flights, being in fact the only company that connects the country’s cities. Tarom’s ticket prices for local routes are even higher than those levied by low-cost carriers for external routes during off-season periods.
While demand for external flights rose in the first half of this year, demand for local flights fell.
“Along traffic categories, external regular flights registered a 12% increase, while local regular flights had a 10% decline,” according to Tarom.
In 2013, the company’s revenue reached RON1.2 billion (EUR272 million), relatively flat from 2012. The company narrowed down its losses by 44% to RON130 million (EUR30 million). Figures for the first six months of 2014 haven’t been published, yet.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)