Aer Lingus says its total passenger numbers grew by 4.2% in April compared to the same time last year.
The airline said it carried a total 850,000 passengers last month, compared to 818,000 in April 2007 - which had the benefit of Easter traffic.
But its load factor - or percentage of seats filled - in April was down to 74.3% from 79.1% in 2007 due to a 19.8% increase on capacity since April of last year.
The long-haul load factor was down by nearly 18 points to 66.1% for April with capacity for the month increasing by 33.5% over April 2007.
Aer Lingus said this capacity increase reflects the continuing effects of the introduction of two new long haul aircraft and the starting of new routes under the Open Skies agreement.
A note from Davy Stockbrokers has described the statistics as 'shocking'.
Meanwhile, SIPTU members at Aer Lingus have threatened to ballot again for industrial action over the company's refusal to pay wage increases due under the national agreement Towards 2016.
Management imposed a pay freeze last October pending agreement on new cost-cutting work practice reforms at the airline. Two weeks ago, SIPTU's 1,800 members rejected for a second time the package of cost saving measures.
Although more than 60% of staff voted to accept the changes, three individual sections rejected it, and under SIPTU's custom and practice, the proposals are deemed to have been rejected by the union.
Since then, Aer Lingus management has not yet indicated its response to the union's rejection of the proposals. But today SIPTU has written to the company seeking payment of the outstanding wage increases under national and in-house agreements worth an estimated 7.5%.
It is understood the union members have been outraged by the pay increases for senior management revealed yesterday.
Chief executive Dermot Mannion received an increase of more than 13%, bringing his annual package to over €1.1m. The union says this is unacceptable in light of the pay freeze imposed on its members last October.
SIPTU branch organiser Teresa Hannick accused management of wanting union members to embrace widespread change that severely disrupts their family lives in order to generate savings - while non-executive board directors are having their standard fees increased from €17,500 a year to €45,000 just to attend meetings.
She said there could be no justification for what she described as 'this sort of self-indulgence' by senior management. She warned that if the union did not get a satisfactory response to today's letter, it would re-ballot members for industrial action.
SIPTU already has a live mandate for industrial action if Aer Lingus moves to implement cost-cutting measures without agreement. It balloted staff for industrial action last October over the pay freeze, but is planning to re-ballot staff on this issue to ensure their mandate for strike action remains valid.
Aer Lingus shares fell six cent to close at €1.87 in Dublin.
