Snow and strike action left a dent in Iberia’s passenger figures for December, but full year results remain strong.
A two-day strike in December by Spanish air traffic controllers, in an ongoing dispute with the government over working hours, contributed to the fall.
The Spanish carrier also blamed heavy snow across much of Europe for the dip.
The load factor for Iberia’s long haul flights in December dropped to 82.7% compared with 85% in December 2009.
European traffic fared worse with a load factor of 68.5% last month, a drop of 1% on 2009.
Despite the negative affect on certain routes, figures for the carrier’s domestic traffic rose 2.4% compared with December 2009.
Full year results were also strong, with a growth in passenger numbers of 2.4%
Iberia will take the final steps towards its long-awaited merger with BA next week as the companies begin to trade joint shares together on Monday.
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