This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on May 10, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd carried 17% more passengers to 13.9 million for the first quarter of this year (1Q16) from 11.9 million a year ago, on a 6% increase in capacity to 16.3 million seats flown.

It also saw a 9% increase in load factor of 86% in 1Q16 from 77% in 1Q15. The airline’s fleet size stood at 170 aircraft.

In a statement yesterday, the low-cost carrier said its Malaysian segment carried 17% more passengers at 6.48 million in 1Q16 from 5.54 million a year ago, as capacity grew 3% to 7.58 million seats flown.

AirAsia Malaysia posted a load factor of 85% in 1Q16, up 10 percentage points from 75% in 1Q15.

In Malaysia, AirAsia ended the January to March quarter with a total of 80 aircraft, while commencing five new routes namely Kuala Lumpur-Shantou, Kota Kinabalu-Wuhan, Penang-Ho Chi Minh City, Penang-Yangon and Langkawi-Guangzhou.

Frequencies were added on four routes for Kuala Lumpur-Alor Setar, Kuala Lumpur-Colombo, Kuala Lumpur-Penang and Kota Kinabalu-Miri.

For Thai AirAsia Co Ltd, the group said total number of passengers carried increased 18% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 4.37 million, ahead of the 11% increase in capacity.

The 45%-owned associate recorded a load factor of 88% in 1Q16, up five percentage points from a year ago.

As for AirAsia’s 48.9%-owned associate PT Indonesia AirAsia (IAA), it saw the number of passengers carried rise 2%, despite capacity reduction of 10% y-o-y due to its turnaround plan, which saw two aircraft in 1Q16 transferred out from IAA to the other affiliates, namely Thai AirAsia and AirAsia Philippines Inc.

AirAsia Philippines, which is 39.9% owned by AirAsia, carried 15% more passengers to 970,000, supported by the increase in capacity of 2%.

AirAsia (India) Pvt Ltd also carried 127% more passengers to 540,000 in 1Q16.