Jazeera Airways, a Kuwait-based low-cost carrier, has reported a seven per cent increase in passengers flown during May, compared to the same month last year.

The increase was led by significant passenger pick-up on routes serving Dubai, Beirut, Amman, Jeddah, Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut and Sohag, said the airline’s Operational Performance Report for May.

The report, which presents market share figures based on official statistics from Kuwait’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA), also showed that Jazeera Airways had a continued lead in on-time performance (OTP) against all other airlines in the Middle East during the month with a performance of 96 per cent, as ranked by the independent US-based OTP tracker, FlightStats.

For the second month in a row, Jazeera Airways was the leading airline to serve the Kuwait-Amman route in May 2013, of which it grabbed a 50 per cent market share and saw a 38 per cent increase in flown passengers in comparison to the same month last year.

The airline saw a 19 per cent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Dubai route in comparison to the same month last year, and grabbed a consistent 15 per cent market share in May 2013 on the route, according to the report.

On the Kuwait-Beirut route, the airline grabbed a 42 per cent market share, an 11 per cent increase in market share from the same month last year, supported by a 31 per cent increase in flown passengers in comparison to the same month last year.

On routes serving destinations in Saudi Arabia, Jazeera Airways saw a 49 per cent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Jeddah route as compared to the same month last year.

The airline closed the month with a 19 per cent market share on the Kuwait-Jeddah route, reflecting an increase of 6 per cent from the same month last year. As for the Kuwait-Riyadh route, the airline’s second route in Saudi Arabia, the airline saw a 2 per cent increase in market share from the same month last year, and closed the month with a 13 per cent market share.

On routes between Kuwait and Egypt, Jazeera Airways was once again the leading airline serving popular tourist and expat destinations of Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, and Sohag with a 55 per cent, 54 per cent, 70 per cent and 44 per cent market share respectively.

The airline saw an increase of 19 per cent in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Sharm El Sheikh route as compared to the same period last year, a 22 per cent increase on the Kuwait-Assiut route, and a 12 per cent increase on the Kuwait-Sohag route.

The airline also saw a 6 per cent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Cairo route in May 2013 compared to same month last year, and grabbed a 26 per cent market share on the route.

The report also showed that Jazeera Airways had a 57 per cent increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Istanbul route during the month of May as compared to the same month last year. – TradeArabia News Service