BTS 52-14 Advisory BTS Releases August 2014 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that U.S. airlines carried 69.3 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in August 2014, 2.4 percent more than in August 2013. The systemwide total was the result of a 2.5 percent increase in the number of passengers on domestic flights (59.6 million) and a 1.6 percent increase in passengers on U.S. airlines’ international flights (9.8 million). U.S. airlines carried 514.4 million systemwide (domestic + international) scheduled service passengers during the first eight months of 2014, 2.3 percent more than during the same period in 2013. Domestically, U.S. airlines carried 444.8 million passengers, up 2.2 percent from 2013. Internationally, they carried 69.5 million passengers, up 3.2 percent from 2013. See Tables 2, 8 and 14 of Air Traffic Press Releases for previous-year data. Load Factor The August 2014 systemwide load factor (86.4 percent) was up from 86.1 in August 2013 but down from the August record high of 86.5 in 2012. Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares demand, measured in revenue passenger-miles (RPMs), as a proportion of capacity, measured in available seat-miles (ASMs). Systemwide demand grew more from August 2013 to August 2014 (up 2.3 percent) than the growth in capacity (up 2.0 percent). The domestic load factor (86.8) was a record high for the month of August, topping the previous high of 86.6 set in 2012. Domestic demand grew faster from August 2013 to August 2014 (2.7 percent) than capacity (1.3 percent), resulting in the higher load factor. The international load factor (85.5) declined from 87.2 percent in August 2013 which was the highest August international load factor on record. International demand rose 1.4 percent from August 2013 to August 2014 but was outpaced by 3.4 percent growth in capacity, resulting in the lower load factor. For the eight-month January-August period, systemwide (84.1) and domestic (85.3) load factors were at all-time highs, exceeding the previous highs in 2013. The international load factor (81.6) was down from 2013. Month of August Trends Systemwide: For the month of August, the 2014 systemwide passenger total (69.3 million) was the second highest on record but below the all-time high in August 2007 (71.3 million). Demand, measured in RPMs, was at the highest August level, exceeding the previous record high set in 2013. Demand has exceeded pre-recession levels every month of 2014 except February. Capacity, measured in ASMs, was at the highest August level, exceeding the August 2007 level. See Air Traffic Release for summary tables and additional data. 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. You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
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BTS Releases August 2014 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
