In total, Widerøe flew 340,995 passengers in August. This is more than eight per cent more passengers than the same period last year. Widerøe will reopen the route with daily departures between Tromsø and Leknes from April 2025 and is pleased to be able to present an improved route structure at Andenes and Evenes.
The last month of summer concluded in many months with a great summer for Widerøe. In total, 8.5 percent more passengers flew with the company in August compared to the same month last year. Sales of airline tickets in August have been good and the recently concluded sales campaign ended up as one of the best in the company's history. The firm, now part of the Norwegian Group, sold 32% more tickets in the period ahead compared to the same period in 2023. Sales of airline tickets on tender routes are up by 48% and on commercial routes an increase of 24%.
The load factor for August saw a solid increase compared to last year and ended at 76.5 percent. This is up four percentage points compared to August 2023. Capacity in August was two per cent lower than last year and down three per cent compared to the previous month. The airline flew a total of 340,995 passengers. The load factor on the short-haul network ended at 64 per cent, the same as in July.
CEO of Widerøe Tore Jenssen is currently on a tour of Widerøeland to greet and meet many of the company's 3500 employees. In Tromsø on Wednesday, he was able to present the start of a new route between Tromsø and Lofoten. Today, it is clear that Widerøe will start up this route from the summer program, starting in April next year. There will be daily flights between Tromsø and Leknes.
During August, the regional carrier confirmed a new codeshare deal had been implemented with the German airline Lufthansa. With one ticket, travel from 11 airports across Norway will be linked together in a worldwide route network via Lufthansa's hubs. In addition, Lufthansa will put its flight number on Widerøe's international flights from Widerøe's hub in Bergen to the Lufthansa Group's hubs in Munich and Brussels, which will provide connectivity to Brussels Airlines and selected routes in Africa.
Widerøe's Chief Commercial Officer Christian Skaug said: "We are thrilled to join Lufthansa's global sales and distribution channels. This will strengthen our international routes and give our travelers access to new markets. The codeshare agreement enables Lufthansa's customers to travel seamlessly domestically and internationally when booking flights to and from our unique and popular destinations. This partnership will benefit both the Lufthansa Group's and Widerøe's customers,"
