February 2016 US airline traffic data released

WASHINGTON, DC – The US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that US airlines’ systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service load factor – a measure of the use of airline capacity – fell to 83.5 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, falling for the second consecutive month. Seasonal adjustment allows the comparing of monthly load factors to all other months.

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 seasonally-adjusted load factor fell month-to-month because system capacity grew (ASMs rose 0.2 percent) while passenger travel remained virtually unchanged.

Trends:

Seasonally-adjusted

Systemwide load factor (83.5) in February 2016 was down 1.3 points from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (84.8) reached in October 2015 as capacity grew while passenger travel declined. Domestic load factor (84.7) was down 1.5 points from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (86.2) reached in October 2015. International load factor (80.9) was down 2.1 points from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (83.0) reached in March and July 2013.

Systemwide RPMs (76.4 billion) were down 0.6 percent from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (76.8 billion) reached in October 2015. Domestic RPMs (53.8 billion) were down 0.7 percent from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (54.1 billion) reached in December 2015. International RPMs (22.6 billion) were down 2.3 percent from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (23.1 billion) reached in July 2015.

Systemwide ASMs (91.4 billion) reached a new seasonally-adjusted all-time high, up 0.2 percent from December 2015. Domestic ASMs (63.5 billion) reached a new seasonally-adjusted all-time high, up 0.5 percent from December 2015. International ASMs (27.9 billion) were down 0.9 percent from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (28.2 billion) reached in August 2015.

Systemwide passenger enplanements (66.8 million) were down 2.0 percent from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (68.1 million) reached in October 2015. Domestic passenger enplanements (58.2 million) were down 2.3 percent from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (59.6 million) reached in October 2015. International passenger enplanements (8.6 million) were down 0.5 percent from the all-time seasonally-adjusted high (8.6 million) reached in December 2015.

Unadjusted

Systemwide load factor (78.8) was down 1.4 points from the all-time February high (80.2) reached in 2015 as capacity grew more year-over-year than travel. Domestic load factor (80.9) was down 1.5 points from the all-time February high (82.4) reached in 2015. International load factor (73.9) was down 1.7 points from the all-time February high (75.6) reached in 2013.

Systemwide RPMs (64.2 billion) reached an all-time February high, up 6.0 percent from the previous high (60.6 billion) reached in 2008. Domestic RPMs (46.1 billion) reached an all-time February high, up 6.2 percent from the previous high (43.4 billion) reached in 2008. International RPMs (18.1 billion) reached an all-time February high, up 3.2 percent from the previous high (17.5 billion) reached in 2015.

Systemwide ASMs (81.5 billion) reached an all-time February high, up 1.0 percent from the previous high (80.7 billion) reached in 2008. Domestic ASMs (57.0 billion) were down 0.2 percent from the all-time February high (57.2 billion) reached in 2008. International ASMs (24.5 billion) reached an all-time February high, up 3.1 percent from the previous high (23.7 billion) reached in 2012.

Systemwide passenger enplanements (57.7 million) reached an all-time February high, up 1.1 percent from the previous high (57.1 million) reached in 2008. Domestic passenger enplanements (50.3 million) reached an all-time February high, up 0.4 percent from the previous high (50.1 million) reached in 2008. International passenger enplanements (7.4 million) reached an all-time February high, up 5.5 percent from the previous high (7.0 million) reached in 2015.