"Hungarian Airline Malév carried a total of 3.3 million scheduled and charter passengers in 2009, 6% more than in the previous year (excluding long-haul passengers). This enabled the carrier to up its market share by two percentage points to 43.5%, Malév has announced on Monday.


Malév was able to achieve a 6% increase in its passenger traffic despite the fact that in the first quarter of 2009, when Malév was also hit by the impacts of the economic crisis, its passenger numbers declined significantly.

Following this serious loss in turnover the company was able to "take to the skies" again with a new, proactive commercial strategy targeting a wide segment of the travelling public, the airline said in a statement.

The airline reached the most dynamic - more than 10% - increase in passenger number in October and December.

Last year, Malév had a number of new initiatives, including a new pricing strategy, which allowed the airline "to take up the challenge of competing against low-cost carriers", guaranteed best group rate, a five-fold increase in the number of corporate clients, numerous special travel packages offered together with the airline's partners and the opening of three new destinations.

"All our efforts brought the hoped-for results last year, and we were able to increase our load factor on European and Middle Eastern routes by two percentage points to 66.5%," commented Karim Makhlouf, Chief Commercial Officer of Malév.

This year Malév aims to further raise the load factor, to which end it is placing even more emphasis on its new commercial strategy. It is also to come out with new offers throughout the entire year.

"For the 1st quarter of 2010 we expect double digit growth in passenger numbers which brings us closer to our aim to increase further our market share and be the first choice in Hungary and in the region," Makhlouf added."

Source: Portfolio Online FInancial Journal


26.01.2010

Dr. Ryan James Budapest, Hungary This is a continuing saga of a couple who left the U.S. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (MSW/LCSW) and teacher with over 25 years experience. I earned my Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education with specializations in Second Language Acquisition and Curriculum and Learning at the University of San Francisco. I graduated in May 2000. After a fruitless search for an academic position on the eastern part of the U.S., my partner and I gave it all up for a year of travel. We left the States in 2001 and have lived abroad since. In addition to professional travel writing and university teaching here in Budapest, currently I am exploring the possibilities of teaching online. I will also be starting a career as a Life Coach, something I have done for years for others, but without using the moniker. View my complete profile