Europe’s regional airlines feel the pinch

Figures just released by the European Regions Airline Assn. (ERA) show the economic downturn began to bite its member carriers in March. ERA, which represents 60 of Europe’s regional carriers, said its members cut ASKs by 6.8% during the first three months. The reduction in capacity exceeded a 1.1% drop in RPKs, pushing load factor up by 4.1 points to 64.9%. However, the three-month figures mask a sharp 9.5% RPK reduction in March, following more modest capacity reductions of ...