SAS Oct traffic down 13.5 pct vs year ago

STOCKHOLM, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Scandinavian airline SAS (SAS.ST) said on Friday that October passenger traffic fell 13.5 percent from the same month a year ago.

SAS said its passenger load factor -- a measure of how successful it was in filling its seats -- rose 4.3 percentage points year-on-year to 74.3 percent.

The airline, half-owned by Sweden, Norway and Denmark, said its yield in September -- the most recent month for which data is available -- was down 9.4 percent.

SAS forecast a negative yield development in October and further pressure on unit revenues ahead.

"This development will have a significant negative impact regarding the full year result," the airline said in a statement.

"The market continues to be unpredictable and the uncertainty regarding the timing of the recovery is considerable."

SAS posted a surprise pretax profit in the third quarter on Thursday, helped by cost cuts and lower jet fuel prices. [ID:nL5358021]