Aer Lingus Group plc has announced its traffic statistics for the month of December and the full year 2014. For the first time Aer Lingus carried over 11 million passengers in a single year. The total number of passengers during 2014 was 11.1 million, including 1.312 million by Aer Lingus Regional. This figure is up 3.2% compared to 10.7 million passengers in 2013. 
The overall load factor for the year 2014 also increased, up 0.6 percentage points to 79%, with load factors of 75.5% on short-haul and 83.7% on long-haul.
During the month of December the total number of passengers carried, including 86,000 by Aer Lingus Regional, was 705,000, down 3.8% compared to the same month in 2013 and reflecting a planned reduction in short-haul capacity.
Long-haul traffic increased by 20% to 102,000 passengers in December 2014, up from 85,000 in the same month in 2013.
Short-haul traffic for December 2014 was down 8.2%, with 517,000 short-haul passengers carried compared to 563,000 in December 2013. As in November 2014, the reduction in short-haul capacity during December relates to planned network adjustments to protect margins given seasonal demand conditions.
With a bid for Aer Lingus shares from IAG on the table, the footnotes to the statement include: “Under the provisions of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, “interested” (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of “relevant securities” of Aer Lingus or IAG, all “dealings” in any “relevant securities” of Aer Lingus or IAG (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such “relevant securities”) must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 p.m. (Irish time) on the “business day” following the date of the relevant transaction.”
