KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X Bhd's (AAX) has recorded 337,638 passengers in total number of passengers carried for the sixth quarter (Q6) ended December 31, 2022.
In a statement today, AAX said this represented an over quadruple boost as compared to the preceding quarter in which 79,557 passengers were carried between July to September 2022 as the travel recovery gained momentum in tandem with the peak travel season.
"Seat capacity and available seats per kilometre (ASK) capacity stood at 427,384 and 1.7 billion respectively as more aircraft were returned to service with a dedicated focus on flying the most popular and profitable routes first as a priority post-pandemic.
"During this period, the company posted a healthy passenger load factor (PLF) of 79 per cent, up by six percentage points from 73 per cent in Q5 FY22.
"The PLF this quarter is already close to emulating the PLF recorded pre-pandemic, between Oct - Dec 2019 which stood at 81 per cent," it said.
AAX had on August 18 2022 announced the change of its financial year end to December 31, 2022, hence covering a period of 18 months.
On a full financial year basis, AAX carried a total of 417,195 passengers with a total of 536,491 seat capacity, while ASK capacity stood at 2.07 billion.
PLF during the year stood at 78 per cent.
By the end of December 2022, AAX was operating flights to 13 destinations including Seoul and Delhi, two of its most popular destinations that were launched in the prior quarter.
"With the re-opening of the China borders, AAX is well poised to accelerate its recovery to pre-Covid levels," it said.
Meanwhile, AAX said its total fleet size stood at 14 A330s as at the end of Dec 2022, with seven aircraft activated and operational, while AAX Thailand's total fleet size was 8 A330s as at the end of Dec 2022, with five aircraft activated and operational.