In January, demand on GOL's route network grew by 32.1% over the same period last year (31.4% in the domestic market and 36.9% in the international market), the second consecutive month to record a year-on-year upturn.
GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL; BM&FBOVESPA: GOLL4), the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, announces its preliminary traffic figures for January 2010.
In January, demand on GOL's route network grew by 32.1% over the same period last year (31.4% in the domestic market and 36.9% in the international market), the second consecutive month to record a year-on-year upturn.
The key factor behind the upturn was the improved economic scenario in Brazil and South America, especially in regard to consumer confidence, and GOL's strategic positioning in its operational markets, based on: (i) high flight frequency between main airports; (ii) high productivity; (iii) punctuality; (iv) exemplary customer service; (v) dynamic fare management, rewarding clients who schedule their trips in advance with lower fares, encouraging demand and reducing the number of available seats on flights where advanced booking is rare; (vi) a wide cost advantage; and (vii) the revitalization of SMILES, Latin America's largest mileage program, with more than 6.6 million participants and over 150 commercial partners.
Specifically in regard to the international market, the increase in demand was also due to adjustments to the international route network, which now includes new routes from Brazil to the Caribbean with flights to Aruba and Curacao, the integration of GOL's and VRG's reservation systems in January 2009 and the repositioning of the sales channels in 2009, including the opening and renovation of airport stores abroad in order to adjust them to GOL's business model and the client profile of the location in question.
Demand grew by 8.5% over December 2009 (5.3% in the domestic market and 35.3% in the international market), due to the same factors that resulted in the year-on-year upturn. The international market growth drivers also included the 19.1% appreciation of the Real against the Dollar over January 2009, which was a key factor that contributed positively to this growth, and the new Caribbean routes, which reached their sales peak in January.
As a result, the Company delivered a total load factor of 77.9% in January 2010 (77.3% in the domestic market and 81.8% in the international market), and the international market was 24.5 percentage points more than the 57.3% recorded in January 2009, and 11.5 percentage points up on the 70.3% registered in December 2009.
Operating Data January January Ch. % December Ch. %
2010* 2009* (YoY) 2009* (MoM)
Total System
ASK (mm) (1) 3,936.7 3,369.1 16.8% 3,702.9 6.3%
RPK (mm) (2) 3,066.0 2,320.3 32.1% 2,827.0 8.5%
Load Factor (3) 77.9% 68.9% +9.0pp 76.3% +1.5pp
Domestic Market
ASK (mm) (1) 3,443.2 2,854.4 20.6% 3,278.6 5.0%
RPK (mm) (2) 2,662.3 2,025.4 31.4% 2,528.7 5.3%
Load Factor (3) 77.3% 71.0% +6.4pp 77.1% +0.2pp
International Market
ASK (mm) (1) 493.5 514.6 -4.1% 424.3 16.3%
RPK (mm) (2) 403.7 295.0 36.9% 298.3 35.3%
Load Factor (3) 81.8% 57.3% +24.5pp 70.3% +11.5pp
