Tarom: 20% decrease of transported passengers in the first four months

In the first four months of the year, Tarom airline company registered a 20% decrease in the number of transported passengers, down to 443,000 compared to the similar period last year, considering that traffic usually decreases in January, February and March, stated Ruxandra Brutaru, General Manager of the company.

The average occupancy in the first quarter of 2009 was 45.6%, 12% lower than the same period last year.

Tarom’s representative stated that the company envisaged reaching the occupancy rate of 2008 in the next couple of months, but there is no sign of market improvement soon.

In the first months of 2009, the average revenue of Tarom dropped by 20%, compared to the same period last year.

Tarom decided to bust sales by introducing more offers at promotional tariffs both on external and domestic flights.

Brutaru specified that the average revenue in 2009 will definitely drop compared to 2008, as a result of demand and supply elasticity. The company’s strategy is to minimize the decrease.

This summer, the company planed to focus on busting sales on charter market, intending to have three times more contracts than the initial estimates.

In 2008, Tarom transported approximately 2 mil. passengers, 5% more than in 2007 and performed over 15,000 regular flights, 6.5% more than the previous year.

Tarom launched a domestic flight on Bucharest – Constanta route, twice a week.

Tarom operates on 10 domestic destinations and 21 external destinations with own aircrafts, while 14 external destinations are operated in code-share system with other companies.

Sursa: Business Standard [04.06.2009], Ziarul Financiar [04.06.2009]