Top airline Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) says passenger numbers for the financial year to September across its entire fleet, rose 5.7 per cent from the previous year.

The Qantas group comprises of Qantas Domestic, QantasLink, Jetstar Domestic, Qantas International and Jetstar International.

For the September quarter passenger numbers rose 6.6 per cent over the previous year with revenue seat factor of 83.7 per cent up 3.9 per cent on the same period the year before.

For the year to date Qantas says total domestic yield, excluding foreign exchange, fell 12 per cent when compared to the same period last year, with total international yield, excluding foreign, decreased by 24.2 per cent.

The airline says yields for the year to date have been impacted by the significant decline in corporate volumes and price discounting in all cabins driven by intense competition on key routes.

Qantas says it has hedged 85 per cent of its expected fuel requirement in 2009/2010 at a worst-case crude oil price of US$88 per barrel.

At current rates Qantas says it has 78 per cent participation in falling oil prices for the remainder of the year.

Qantas recorded net profit of $117 million for 2009.