The entire aviation industry is currently experiencing a downturn of historic proportions due to the global economic crisis. The production cutback already made is to be followed by another 5% cut; compared to the previous year, capacity for 2009 will eventually be streamlined by a total of 10%. In addition to this, the destinations of Nuremberg (from 1 March), Ankara (from 1 March) and Nizhny Novgorod (from 2 March) are to be taken out of the schedule. Targeted reductions in frequency will be made across the route network in line with seasonally weak periods or individual flight days.
In total, the Austrian Airlines Group carried some 632,000 passengers in January (scheduled and charter), 13.0% fewer than January last year. The overall load factor stood at 65.4%, 4.3 percentage points below the figure for January 2008. 

Short- and medium-haul segment
The Austrian Airlines Group suffered a 13.1% fall in passenger volume in this segment in January 2009 compared to the same month in 2008. Compared to other traffic regions, passenger volume in the Focus East Region reported a lower reduction of 10.5%, while the rest of Europe suffered a fall in passenger volume of 14.7%. Capacity in the short- and medium-haul segment overall (measured in available seat kilometres or ASK) was reduced by 1.9%. In the Focus East region, capacity increased by 10.1% compared to the previous year (measured in ASK). The figure for capacity was around 3% below the previous year when adjusted to account for newly incorporated routes. Capacity was sharply reduced, by 13.6%, in the rest of Europe. Overall, the passenger load factor in the short- and medium-segment was 57.8%, 3.8 percentage points below the figure for the comparable period in 2008. 

Long-haul segment
Compared to last year, long-haul capacity in January - due in particular to the cancellation of the Chicago route and seasonal reductions - was reduced by 12.1%. Revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) fell by 17.9%. The passenger load factor stood at 72.8%, 5.1% percentage points down on the previous year. 

Charter segment

Around 0.7% more passengers were carried in January 2009 than in January 2008. Capacity was cut by 3.6%, while the passenger load factor rose 1.8 percentage points above the figure for last year to reach 74.0%.