Jazeera Airways: 7% passenger increase in May

Kuwaiti low-cost carrier, Jazeera Airways reported a seven pct 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 the airline had a continued lead in on-time performance against other airlines in the Middle East during the month with a performance of 96 pct, according to the independent U.S.-based 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 pct market share and saw a 38 pct increase in flown passengers. The airline saw a 19 pct increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Dubai route, grabbing a consistent 15 pct market share on the route, according to the report. On the Kuwait-Beirut route, the airline grabbed a 42 pct market share, an 11 pct increase in market share from the same month last year, supported by a 31 pct increase in flown passengers in comparison to the same month last year. On routes serving destinations in Saudi Arabia, Jazeera Airways saw a 49 pct 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 pct market share on the Kuwait-Jeddah route, reflecting an increase of 6 pct 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 pct increase in market share from the same month last year, and closed the month with a 13 pct 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 pct, 54 pct, 70 pct and 44 pct market share respectively. The airline saw an increase of 19 pct in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Sharm El Sheikh route as compared to the same period last year, a 22 pct increase on the Kuwait-Assiut route, and a 12 pct increase on the Kuwait-Sohag route. The airline also saw a 6 pct increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Cairo route in May 2013 compared to same month last year, and grabbed a 26 pct market share on the route. The report also showed that Jazeera Airways had a 57 pct increase in flown passengers on the Kuwait-Istanbul route during the month of May as compared to the same month last year.