The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that U.S. airlines’ systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service load factor – a measure of the use of airline capacity – rose to 83.0 percent, seasonally adjusted, in December from November, increasing after a one month decline (Table 1). Seasonal adjustment allows the comparing of monthly load factors to all other months.
Load Factor on All U.S. Scheduled Airlines (Domestic & International),
December 2009 - December 2014
SOURCE for recession dates: National Bureau of Economic Research, US Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions
The seasonally-adjusted load factor rose in December after falling in November to 82.4, the lowest point in 12 months (Table 1). The December load factor of 83.0 remained below the all-time seasonally-adjusted high of 84.5 in January 2014 (Table 2). Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares the system use, measured in Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) as a proportion of system capacity, measured in Available Seat-Miles (ASMs).
The November to December increase was the result of a 1.8 percent increase in RPMs combined with the slower 1.1 percent growth in ASMs (Tables 3, 5).
BTS is replacing previous monthly Air Traffic press releases with this monthly load factor press release. Tables 2, 8 and 14 of the previous press release can be found at the end of the Not-Seasonally Adjusted section of this press release. Additional traffic data can be found on the BTS Airlines and Airports page. Click on a link in the Quick Links box on the right. For more historical data, see Traffic on the BTS website.
U.S. Airline Trends:
Seasonally-adjusted
Despite the rise from November to December, systemwide load factors gradually declined throughout 2014 (Table 2). Load factors have generally increased since the recession because demand, measured in RPMs, has increased at a faster pace than capacity, measured in ASMs. In December, demand reached an all-time high, exceeding the previous high set in October. The last 10 months of 2014 are the 10 all-time highest months for demand (Table 4).
Capacity increased slightly in December to the highest level since the recession and the second highest all-time. The final three months of 2014 are the only three post-recession months among the top 10 for capacity, showing that after six years capacity has returned to pre-recession levels (Table 6). Systemwide enplanements in December were the highest since the recession spurred by a monthly record high for international enplanements. Domestic enplanements have been rising slowly but remain below pre-recession levels (Tables 8, 10, 12).
Seasonally-adjusted trends are for the time period January 2000 to present.
Unadjusted
Systemwide: The number of passengers and demand, measured in RPMs, reached an all-time high for the month of December. Capacity, measured in ASMs, while up from December 2013, remained below the all-time high for the month of December set in 2007.
Domestic: The number of passengers and demand, measured in RPMs, reached an all-time high for the month of December. Capacity, measured in ASMs, while up from December 2013, remained below the all-time high for the month of December set in 2007.
International: The number of passengers, demand and capacity all reached all-time highs for the month of December 2014, exceeding the highs set in December 2013.
Annual Trends
For the full year 2014, U.S. airlines set all-time highs in systemwide load factor and RPMs; domestic load factor and RPMs; and international RPMs, ASMs and passengers.
Systemwide: U.S. airline load factor reached an all-time high of 83.4 in 2014, exceeding the previous high of 83.1 set in 2013. Demand, measured in RPMs, reached an all-time annual high. The number of passengers and capacity, measured in ASMs, although increased from 2013, remained below the all-time annual highs set in 2007.
Domestic: U.S. airline domestic load factor reached an all-time high of 84.5 in 2014, exceeding the previous high of 83.5 set in 2013. Demand, measured in RPMs, reached an all-time annual high. The number of passengers and capacity, measured in ASMs, although increased from 2013, remained below the all-time annual highs set in 2007.
International: U.S. airline international load factor was 81.0 in 2014, below the all-time high of 82.3 set in 2013. The number of passengers, demand, measured in RPMs, and capacity, measured in ASMs, reached all-time annual highs.
See Load factor, RPMs, ASMs and Passengers.
Unadjusted trends are for the time period January 1974 to present.
Seasonally-Adjusted Air Travel
Seasonally-Adjusted Revenue Passenger-Miles
RPMs rose 1.8 percent from November to December following a single month of decline from October to November (Table 3).
RPMs of 73.2 billion in December were the highest all-time seasonally-adjusted total. All of the top 10 all-time highest months for RPMs have been in 2014 (Table 4).
Seasonally-Adjusted Available Seat-Miles
ASMs rose 1.1 percent from November to December, rising for the fourth consecutive month (Table 5).
ASMs of 88.2 billion in December were the second highest all-time seasonally-adjusted total, 0.1 billion or 0.1 percent less than the all-time seasonally adjusted high in November 2007. Three of the top 10 all-time highest months for ASMs have been in 2014 (Table 6).
Seasonally-Adjusted Passenger Enplanements
Systemwide: Systemwide passenger enplanements rose 0.1 percent from November to December following a single month of growth from October to November (Table 7). The systemwide total rose from November to December despite a 0.1 percent decline in domestic enplanements because of growth in international enplanements (1.1 percent) (Tables 9, 11).
Enplanements of 64.1 million in December were the 10th highest all-time seasonally-adjusted total, 0.8 million or 1.2 percent less than the all-time seasonally adjusted high in August 2007. One of the top 10 all-time highest months for enplanements has been in 2014 (Table 8).
Domestic: Enplanements on domestic flights fell 0.1 percent from November to December following five months of growth from June to November (Table 9). Domestic enplanements in December (55.7 million) were 2.7 percent, less than the all-time seasonally adjusted high in August 2007 (57.2 million). None of the top 10 all-time highest months for domestic enplanements have been in 2014 (Table 10).
International: U.S. airlines’ international enplanements rose 1.1 percent from November to December for the second consecutive month. The December level (8.4 million) was the highest all-time seasonally-adjusted total. All of the top 10 all-time highest months for international enplanements have been in 2014 (Tables 11, 12).
Unadjusted Tables
Unadjusted Load Factor
U.S. airlines’ systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service load factor – a measure of the use of airline capacity – was 82.6 percent in December, up from November but down from December 2013 (Table 13).
The December load factor of 82.6 was down from the all-time unadjusted high for the month of December of 84.4 set in 2013. The December load factor was below the all-time unadjusted high of 87.0 in June 2013. (Table 14)
The load factor fell year-to-year despite a 1.8 percent increase in RPMs from December 2013 to December 2014 because of a larger 4.0 percent increase in ASMs (Tables 15, 17).
Unadjusted Revenue Passenger-Miles
RPMs in December increased 10.2 percent from November and increased 1.8 percent from December 2013 (Table 15).
RPMs of 71.7 billion in December, were 14.4 percent less than the all-time high, unadjusted, in July 2014. Three of the top 10 all-time highest months for RPMs have been in 2014 (Table 16).
Unadjusted Available Seat-Miles
ASMs in December increased 6.5 percent from November and increased 4.0 percent from December 2013 (Table 17).
ASMs of 86.7 billion in December, or 10.1 percent less than the all-time high, unadjusted, in July 2014. Three of the top 10 all-time highest months for ASMs have been in 2014 (Table 18).
Unadjusted Passenger Enplanements
Systemwide: Systemwide unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2014 (63.6 million) rose 6.9 percent from November and 1.7 percent from December 2013 (Table 19).
The December 2014 systemwide enplanement total (63.6 million) was 12.2 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high in July 2007 (72.4 million). December 2014 level was up from the all-time unadjusted high for the month of December of 63.6 million set in 2009 (Table 20).
Domestic: Domestic, unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2014 (55.3 million) were 12.9 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high in July 2007 (63.5 million) (Table 21).
The December 2014 level was the all-time unadjusted high load factor for the month of December (Table 22).
International: International, unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2014 (8.3 million) were 18.3 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high in July 2014 (10.1 million) (Table 23).
The December 2014 level was the all-time unadjusted high load factor for the month of December (Table 24).
See Load factor, RPMs, ASMs and Passengers.
Explanation of seasonal adjustment
When the primary purpose is to examine monthly shifts in transportation services output and analyze short-term trends, the variation introduced by normal seasonal changes must be removed from the data. Transportation is highly seasonal, and without adjustment, the data do not give an accurate picture of underlying changes in aviation passenger travel.
Seasonal adjustment of the data removes the seasonal events that follow a regular seasonal pattern. Changes that are not due to seasonality, such as a change in air travel resulting from economic conditions become more readily apparent.
The aviation data are seasonally adjusted for the effects of trading day, moving holidays, and data outliers.
See Seasonal Adjustment for methodology and additional explanation.
Reporting Notes
Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial U.S. air carriers detailing operations, passenger traffic and freight traffic. This release includes data received by BTS from 81 carriers as of March 3 for U.S. carrier scheduled civilian operations.
Southwest and AirTran Airways are reporting as separate carriers with the exception of their financial reports. They have one Federal Aviation Administration SOC (single operating certificate), requiring that they use the same safety/operating procedures, but as of December 2014 they have separate air carrier economic certificates issued by the Department’s Office of the Secretary, meaning they remain operating as separate economic entities.
Go to http://www.transtats.bts.gov/releaseinfo.asp for the complete list of reporting and non-reporting carriers. U.S. carriers’ foreign point-to-point flights are included in system and international totals. To create a customized table for passengers, flights, RPMs, ASMs and other data, including non-scheduled service, go to http://apps.bts.gov/xml/air_traffic/src/index.xml#CustomizeTable
For additional scheduled service numbers for U.S. airlines, U.S. and foreign airlines, by airline and by airport, see Passengers, Flights, Revenue Passenger-Miles, Available Seat-Miles and Load Factor.
Traffic numbers are available on the BTS website at TranStats, the Intermodal Transportation Database, at http://transtats.bts.gov. Click on “Aviation.” For systemwide passengers, RPMs and ASMs by carrier through September, click on “Air Carrier Summary Data (Form 41 and 298C Summary Data),” and then click on “Schedule T-1.” Use crosstabs to find scheduled service.
For domestic numbers through September and international numbers through June by origin as well as by carrier, click on “Aviation,” then click on “Air Carrier Statistics (Form 41 Traffic).” Click on “T-100 Market” for system passenger numbers, “T-100 Domestic Market” for domestic or “T-100 International Market” for international. For flights, stage length and trip length, use the appropriate T-100 Segment database. Use crosstabs to find scheduled service.
International totals in this press release consist of all U.S. carrier operations to and from the U.S. and from one foreign point to another foreign point. TranStats T-100 systemwide and international totals do not include U.S. carriers’ foreign point-to-point flights. For December, U.S. carriers reported 125,788 foreign point-to-point passengers. For January through December, U.S. carriers reported 1,699,297 foreign point-to-point passengers.
Data are subject to revision. BTS has scheduled April 16 for the release of January traffic data. None of the data are from samples so measures of statistical significance do not apply.
Seasonally-Adjusted Tables
Table 1. U.S. Airlines Seasonally-Adjusted Monthly Load Factor
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs/ASMs (both seasonally-adjusted) in percent
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 81.5 | 82.3 | 83.3 | 84.5 |
| February | 81.1 | 82.5 | 83.9 | 84.3 |
| March | 80.6 | 82.8 | 83.0 | 83.2 |
| April | 81.0 | 82.8 | 82.9 | 83.6 |
| May | 82.4 | 82.3 | 82.9 | 83.7 |
| June | 81.7 | 82.7 | 83.3 | 83.0 |
| July | 82.4 | 82.5 | 82.8 | 83.2 |
| August | 82.0 | 83.1 | 82.8 | 83.3 |
| September | 82.9 | 82.7 | 82.9 | 83.2 |
| October | 83.0 | 84.0 | 82.9 | 83.3 |
| November | 83.3 | 83.0 | 83.4 | 82.4 |
| December | 82.5 | 83.2 | 83.3 | 83.0 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) as a proportion of Available Seat-Miles (ASMs).
Table 2. 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Load Factors, 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs/ASMs (both seasonally-adjusted) in percent
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Date | Seasonally-Adjusted Load Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 2014 | 84.5 |
| 2 | February 2014 | 84.3 |
| 3 | October 2012 | 84.0 |
| 4 | February 2013 | 83.9 |
| 5 | May 2014 | 83.7 |
| 6 | April 2014 | 83.6 |
| 7 | October 2010 | 83.4 |
| 8 | November 2013 | 83.4 |
| 9 | October 2014 | 83.3 |
| 10 | December 2013 | 83.3 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) as a proportion of Available Seat-Miles (ASMs).
Table 3. U.S. Airlines Seasonally-Adjusted Monthly Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs)
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs (seasonally-adjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67.5 | 68.0 | 69.4 | 71.0 |
| February | 67.2 | 68.4 | 70.4 | 70.7 |
| March | 67.3 | 68.8 | 69.3 | 71.5 |
| April | 67.6 | 68.7 | 69.5 | 71.5 |
| May | 68.1 | 68.3 | 69.9 | 72.0 |
| June | 67.8 | 68.5 | 70.2 | 71.8 |
| July | 68.6 | 68.1 | 69.8 | 72.2 |
| August | 67.2 | 68.7 | 70.2 | 72.2 |
| September | 68.6 | 68.5 | 70.2 | 72.2 |
| October | 68.5 | 68.3 | 70.5 | 72.6 |
| November | 68.0 | 68.8 | 70.9 | 71.9 |
| December | 68.3 | 68.8 | 70.8 | 73.2 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Revenue passenger-miles are a measure of the volume of air passenger transportation. A revenue passenger-mile is equal to one paying passenger carried one mile.
Table 4. 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs), 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs (seasonally-adjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted RPMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 2014 | 73.2 |
| 2 | October 2014 | 72.6 |
| 3 | July 2014 | 72.2 |
| 4 | September 2014 | 72.2 |
| 5 | August 2014 | 72.2 |
| 6 | May 2014 | 72.0 |
| 7 | November 2014 | 71.9 |
| 8 | June 2014 | 71.8 |
| 9 | April 2014 | 71.5 |
| 10 | March 2014 | 71.5 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Revenue passenger-miles are a measure of the volume of air passenger transportation. A revenue passenger-mile is equal to one paying passenger carried one mile.
Table 5. U.S. Airlines Seasonally-Adjusted Monthly Available Seat-Miles (ASMs)
Systemwide (Domestic + International) ASMs (seasonally-adjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82.8 | 82.6 | 83.3 | 84.0 |
| February | 82.8 | 83.0 | 83.8 | 83.9 |
| March | 83.5 | 83.1 | 83.5 | 85.9 |
| April | 83.5 | 82.9 | 83.9 | 85.6 |
| May | 82.7 | 82.9 | 84.3 | 85.9 |
| June | 83.0 | 82.7 | 84.2 | 86.5 |
| July | 83.3 | 82.5 | 84.3 | 86.9 |
| August | 81.9 | 82.7 | 84.8 | 86.6 |
| September | 82.8 | 82.8 | 84.6 | 86.7 |
| October | 82.5 | 81.3 | 85.1 | 87.1 |
| November | 81.7 | 82.9 | 85.1 | 87.2 |
| December | 82.8 | 82.6 | 85.0 | 88.2 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Available seat-miles are a measure of the capacity of air passenger transportation. An available seat-mile is equal to one aircraft seat carried one mile.
Table 6. 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Available Seat-Miles (ASMs), 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) ASMs (seasonally-adjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted ASMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 2007 | 88.3 |
| 2 | December 2014 | 88.2 |
| 3 | December 2007 | 88.1 |
| 4 | January 2008 | 88.0 |
| 5 | February 2008 | 87.7 |
| 6 | October 2007 | 87.7 |
| 7 | March 2008 | 87.5 |
| 8 | November 2014 | 87.2 |
| 9 | October 2014 | 87.1 |
| 10 | September 2007 | 87.1 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Available seat-miles are a measure of the capacity of air passenger transportation. An available seat-mile is equal to one aircraft seat carried one mile.
Table 7. U.S. Airlines Systemwide Seasonally-Adjusted Passenger Enplanements
Systemwide (Domestic + International) passenger enplanements (seasonally-adjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60.59 | 61.12 | 61.80 | 62.72 |
| February | 60.24 | 61.38 | 62.71 | 62.62 |
| March | 60.51 | 61.14 | 61.23 | 63.71 |
| April | 60.16 | 61.44 | 61.63 | 63.35 |
| May | 61.43 | 61.01 | 61.64 | 63.57 |
| June | 60.82 | 61.14 | 61.97 | 63.39 |
| July | 61.40 | 61.10 | 61.23 | 63.65 |
| August | 60.64 | 61.50 | 61.75 | 63.69 |
| September | 61.31 | 61.33 | 62.04 | 63.98 |
| October | 61.57 | 61.15 | 62.14 | 63.91 |
| November | 61.37 | 61.20 | 63.08 | 64.04 |
| December | 61.38 | 61.82 | 62.59 | 64.08 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market
Table 8. Systemwide 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (seasonally-adjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 2007 | 64.86 |
| 2 | October 2007 | 64.69 |
| 3 | September 2007 | 64.44 |
| 4 | November 2007 | 64.40 |
| 5 | June 2007 | 64.38 |
| 6 | July 2007 | 64.34 |
| 7 | May 2007 | 64.30 |
| 8 | April 2007 | 64.21 |
| 9 | February 2008 | 64.18 |
| 10 | December 2014 | 64.08 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market
Table 9. U.S. Airlines Domestic Seasonally-Adjusted Passenger Enplanements
Domestic passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (seasonally-adjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52.87 | 53.38 | 53.85 | 54.39 |
| February | 52.57 | 53.58 | 54.67 | 54.38 |
| March | 52.87 | 53.27 | 53.22 | 55.39 |
| April | 52.49 | 53.60 | 53.67 | 55.00 |
| May | 53.73 | 53.19 | 53.59 | 55.20 |
| June | 53.15 | 53.36 | 53.84 | 55.01 |
| July | 53.52 | 53.31 | 53.03 | 55.27 |
| August | 52.93 | 53.67 | 53.51 | 55.33 |
| September | 53.55 | 53.34 | 53.83 | 55.67 |
| October | 53.86 | 53.23 | 53.88 | 55.71 |
| November | 53.65 | 53.26 | 54.82 | 55.71 |
| December | 53.65 | 53.89 | 54.30 | 55.66 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market
Table 10. Domestic 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2014
Domestic passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (seasonally-adjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 2007 | 57.23 |
| 2 | October 2007 | 57.02 |
| 3 | June 2007 | 56.90 |
| 4 | September 2007 | 56.90 |
| 5 | May 2007 | 56.88 |
| 6 | July 2007 | 56.79 |
| 7 | April 2007 | 56.74 |
| 8 | November 2007 | 56.67 |
| 9 | February 2008 | 56.36 |
| 10 | January 2008 | 56.24 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market
Table 11. U.S. Airlines International Seasonally-Adjusted Passenger Enplanements
International passenger enplanements (seasonally-adjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.72 | 7.74 | 7.96 | 8.33 |
| February | 7.67 | 7.80 | 8.04 | 8.23 |
| March | 7.64 | 7.87 | 8.01 | 8.32 |
| April | 7.67 | 7.84 | 7.96 | 8.35 |
| May | 7.71 | 7.81 | 8.05 | 8.37 |
| June | 7.68 | 7.79 | 8.14 | 8.39 |
| July | 7.87 | 7.79 | 8.20 | 8.38 |
| August | 7.72 | 7.83 | 8.23 | 8.36 |
| September | 7.76 | 7.98 | 8.20 | 8.31 |
| October | 7.71 | 7.92 | 8.26 | 8.20 |
| November | 7.72 | 7.94 | 8.26 | 8.33 |
| December | 7.73 | 7.93 | 8.29 | 8.42 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market
Table 12. International 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2014
International passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (seasonally-adjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 2014 | 8.42 |
| 2 | June 2014 | 8.39 |
| 3 | July 2014 | 8.38 |
| 4 | May 2014 | 8.37 |
| 5 | August 2014 | 8.36 |
| 6 | April 2014 | 8.35 |
| 7 | November 2014 | 8.33 |
| 8 | January 2014 | 8.33 |
| 9 | March 2014 | 8.32 |
| 10 | September 2014 | 8.31 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market
Table 13. U.S. Airlines Unadjusted Monthly Load Factor
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs/ASMs (both unadjusted) in percent
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 76.5 | 77.6 | 78.9 | 80.3 |
| February | 75.8 | 76.6 | 79.2 | 79.8 |
| March | 80.8 | 83.0 | 84.3 | 83.5 |
| April | 80.7 | 82.5 | 81.6 | 83.4 |
| May | 83.5 | 83.5 | 84.2 | 85.0 |
| June | 85.6 | 86.5 | 87.0 | 86.4 |
| July | 86.9 | 86.6 | 86.6 | 86.7 |
| August | 85.6 | 86.5 | 86.1 | 86.4 |
| September | 81.9 | 81.6 | 81.6 | 81.9 |
| October | 82.5 | 83.4 | 82.2 | 82.8 |
| November | 81.9 | 81.9 | 79.3 | 79.8 |
| December | 80.7 | 81.5 | 84.4 | 82.6 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) as a proportion of Available Seat-Miles (ASMs).
Table 14. 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Load Factors, 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs/ASMs (both unadjusted) in percent
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted Load Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 2013 | 87.0 |
| 2 | July 2011 | 86.9 |
| 3 | July 2010 | 86.8 |
| 4 | July 2014 | 86.7 |
| 4 | July 2014 | 86.7 |
| 5 | July 2013 | 86.6 |
| 6 | July 2012 | 86.6 |
| 7 | June 2012 | 86.5 |
| 8 | August 2012 | 86.5 |
| 9 | August 2014 | 86.4 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) as a proportion of Available Seat-Miles (ASMs).
Table 15. U.S. Airlines Unadjusted Monthly Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs)
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs (unadjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60.7 | 61.1 | 62.4 | 64.1 |
| February | 54.5 | 57.5 | 57.5 | 57.9 |
| March | 69.1 | 70.8 | 72.2 | 73.6 |
| April | 66.7 | 67.8 | 67.8 | 70.7 |
| May | 70.8 | 71.2 | 73.0 | 75.2 |
| June | 75.1 | 76.0 | 77.9 | 79.5 |
| July | 80.4 | 79.6 | 81.3 | 83.7 |
| August | 76.2 | 77.7 | 79.3 | 81.2 |
| September | 65.5 | 65.2 | 66.6 | 68.4 |
| October | 67.3 | 67.0 | 69.1 | 71.1 |
| November | 62.5 | 63.4 | 63.0 | 65.0 |
| December | 65.5 | 65.9 | 70.4 | 71.7 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Revenue passenger-miles are a measure of the volume of air passenger transportation. A revenue passenger-mile is equal to one paying passenger carried one mile.
Table 16. 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs), 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs (unadjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted RPMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2014 | 83.7 |
| 2 | July 2013 | 81.3 |
| 3 | August 2014 | 81.2 |
| 4 | July 2011 | 80.4 |
| 5 | July 2007 | 79.9 |
| 6 | July 2012 | 79.6 |
| 7 | June 2014 | 79.5 |
| 8 | August 2013 | 79.3 |
| 9 | July 2008 | 78.8 |
| 10 | August 2007 | 78.3 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Revenue passenger-miles are a measure of the volume of air passenger transportation. A revenue passenger-mile is equal to one paying passenger carried one mile.
Table 17. U.S. Airlines Unadjusted Monthly Monthly Available Seat-Miles (ASMs)
Systemwide (Domestic + International) ASMs (unadjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79.3 | 78.7 | 79.2 | 79.8 |
| February | 71.9 | 75.0 | 72.6 | 72.5 |
| March | 85.6 | 85.3 | 85.6 | 88.2 |
| April | 82.7 | 82.1 | 83.1 | 84.8 |
| May | 84.7 | 85.2 | 86.7 | 88.5 |
| June | 87.8 | 87.8 | 89.5 | 92.0 |
| July | 92.5 | 91.9 | 93.8 | 96.5 |
| August | 89.1 | 89.9 | 92.2 | 94.0 |
| September | 80.0 | 80.0 | 81.5 | 83.5 |
| October | 81.6 | 80.3 | 84.0 | 85.9 |
| November | 76.3 | 77.4 | 79.5 | 81.5 |
| December | 81.1 | 80.9 | 83.4 | 86.7 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Available seat-miles are a measure of the capacity of air passenger transportation. An available seat-mile is equal to one aircraft seat carried one mile.
Table 18. 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Seat-Miles (ASMs), 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) ASMs (unadjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted ASMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2014 | 96.5 |
| 2 | August 2014 | 94.0 |
| 3 | July 2013 | 93.8 |
| 4 | July 2008 | 93.7 |
| 5 | July 2007 | 92.9 |
| 6 | August 2007 | 92.8 |
| 7 | July 2011 | 92.5 |
| 8 | August 2013 | 92.2 |
| 9 | June 2014 | 92.0 |
| 10 | July 2012 | 91.9 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment
Note: Available seat-miles are a measure of the capacity of air passenger transportation. An available seat-mile is equal to one aircraft seat carried one mile.
Table 19. U.S. Airlines Systemwide Unadjusted Passenger Enplanements
Systemwide (Domestic + International) passenger enplanements (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53.69 | 54.44 | 55.35 | 55.81 |
| February | 50.08 | 53.11 | 52.49 | 52.44 |
| March | 63.58 | 64.46 | 65.10 | 66.44 |
| April | 60.53 | 61.50 | 60.98 | 63.48 |
| May | 63.85 | 63.68 | 64.79 | 66.51 |
| June | 66.24 | 66.61 | 67.08 | 68.60 |
| July | 69.91 | 69.19 | 69.22 | 71.88 |
| August | 66.30 | 67.76 | 67.73 | 69.53 |
| September | 58.07 | 57.42 | 58.19 | 59.99 |
| October | 61.20 | 60.93 | 62.16 | 64.34 |
| November | 58.27 | 58.74 | 57.60 | 59.49 |
| December | 59.07 | 58.87 | 62.49 | 63.58 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 730.79 | 736.71 | 743.18 | 762.09 |
| Yr. Total | 730.79 | 736.71 | 743.18 | 762.09 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market
Table 20. Systemwide 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2014
Systemwide (Domestic + International) passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2007 | 72.40 |
| 2 | July 2014 | 71.88 |
| 3 | August 2007 | 71.34 |
| 4 | July 2005 | 70.57 |
| 5 | July 2008 | 70.47 |
| 6 | July 2011 | 69.91 |
| 7 | June 2007 | 69.69 |
| 8 | August 2014 | 69.53 |
| 9 | July 2006 | 69.51 |
| 10 | July 2013 | 69.22 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market
Table 21. U.S. Airlines Domestic Unadjusted Passenger Enplanements
Domestic passenger numbers (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled Service Only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46.31 | 47.08 | 47.82 | 47.96 |
| February | 43.66 | 46.41 | 45.74 | 45.51 |
| March | 55.65 | 56.20 | 56.57 | 57.76 |
| April | 52.86 | 53.69 | 53.23 | 55.25 |
| May | 55.98 | 55.75 | 56.56 | 57.89 |
| June | 57.78 | 57.90 | 57.99 | 59.26 |
| July | 60.31 | 59.69 | 59.31 | 61.75 |
| August | 57.40 | 58.65 | 58.12 | 59.76 |
| September | 50.98 | 50.14 | 50.77 | 52.53 |
| October | 54.12 | 53.78 | 54.71 | 56.94 |
| November | 51.66 | 51.85 | 50.54 | 52.35 |
| December | 51.54 | 51.17 | 54.33 | 55.30 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 638.25 | 642.31 | 645.69 | 662.26 |
| Yr. Total | 638.25 | 642.31 | 645.69 | 662.26 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market
Table 22. Domestic 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2014
Domestic passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2007 | 63.46 |
| 2 | August 2007 | 62.66 |
| 3 | July 2005 | 62.40 |
| 4 | July 2014 | 61.75 |
| 5 | June 2007 | 61.49 |
| 6 | July 2008 | 61.40 |
| 7 | July 2006 | 60.84 |
| 8 | July 2011 | 60.31 |
| 9 | August 2014 | 59.76 |
| 10 | June 2005 | 59.72 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market
Table 23. U.S. Airlines International Unadjusted International Passenger Enplanements
International passenger enplanements (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.39 | 7.36 | 7.53 | 7.85 |
| February | 6.42 | 6.70 | 6.75 | 6.93 |
| March | 7.93 | 8.26 | 8.53 | 8.68 |
| April | 7.67 | 7.80 | 7.75 | 8.24 |
| May | 7.87 | 7.93 | 8.22 | 8.62 |
| June | 8.47 | 8.71 | 9.08 | 9.34 |
| July | 9.60 | 9.50 | 9.91 | 10.13 |
| August | 8.90 | 9.11 | 9.61 | 9.77 |
| September | 7.09 | 7.29 | 7.43 | 7.46 |
| October | 7.08 | 7.15 | 7.45 | 7.40 |
| November | 6.61 | 6.89 | 7.06 | 7.14 |
| December | 7.54 | 7.71 | 8.16 | 8.28 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 92.57 | 94.41 | 97.48 | 99.84 |
| Yr. Total | 92.57 | 94.41 | 97.48 | 99.84 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market
Table 24. International 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2014
International passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2014 | 10.13 |
| 2 | July 2013 | 9.91 |
| 3 | August 2014 | 9.77 |
| 4 | August 2013 | 9.61 |
| 5 | July 2011 | 9.60 |
| 6 | July 2012 | 9.50 |
| 7 | June 2014 | 9.34 |
| 8 | July 2010 | 9.29 |
| 9 | August 2012 | 9.11 |
| 10 | June 2013 | 9.08 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market