BTS 57-15 Advisory Thursday, December 17, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568 BTS Statistical Release: October 2015 Passenger Airline Employment Data
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 3.7 percent more workers in October 2015 than in October 2014, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. October was the 23rd consecutive month that full-time equivalent (FTE) employment for U.S. scheduled passenger airlines exceeded the same month of the previous year and was the highest monthly total (398,810) since August 2008.
Month-to-month, the number of FTEs rose 0.4 percent from September to October, rising for the third consecutive month. Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines.
The four network airlines that collectively employ two-thirds of the scheduled passenger airline FTEs reported 3.6 percent more FTEs in October 2015 than in October 2014. Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines increased FTEs from October 2014 while United Airlines’ FTEs were virtually unchanged. American Airlines, which has merged with US Airways, reported 5.2 percent more FTEs in October 2015 than American and US Airways reported separately in October 2014. July 2015 was the first month for which the two merged airlines submitted a combined report. Month-to-month, the number of network airline FTEs was up 0.1 percent from September to October. Network airlines operate a significant portion of their flights using at least one hub where connections are made for flights to down-line destinations or spoke cities.
The six low-cost carriers reported 6.7 percent more FTEs in October 2015 than in October 2014. Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Virgin America and Southwest Airlines reported increases while Frontier Airlines reduced FTEs. Month-to-month, the number of low-cost airline FTEs rose 1.1 percent from September to October, rising for the seventh consecutive month. Low-cost airlines operate under a low-cost business model, with infrastructure and aircraft operating costs below the overall industry average.
The 12 regional carriers reported 0.6 percent fewer FTEs in October 2015 than in October 2014. Seven regional airlines – PSA Airlines, Compass Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Horizon Air, GoJet Airlines, SkyWest Airlines and Republic Airlines – reported increased employment levels. The others reported decreases. Month-to-month, the number of regional airline FTEs rose 0.6 percent from September to October after four consecutive monthly decreases. Regional carriers typically provide service from small cities, using primarily regional jets to support the network carriers’ hub and spoke systems.
See Passenger Airline Employment press release for summary tables and additional data. Historical employment data can be found on the BTS web site. ###
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BTS Statistical Release: October 2015 Passenger Airline Employment Data
BTS Statistical Release: 3rd Quarter 2015 Airline Financial Data
BTS 56-15 Advisory Tuesday, December 15, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568 BTS Statistical Release: 3rd Quarter 2015 Airline Financial Data
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines reported an after-tax net profit of $9.3 billion in the third quarter of 2015, up from $5.5 billion in the second quarter of 2015 and up from $3.1 billion in the third quarter of 2014, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today.
The third quarter of 2015 is the 10th consecutive quarter the 25 U.S. scheduled service passenger airlines reported an after-tax net profit as a group. It was also the highest quarterly after-tax net profit since the first quarter of 2006.
In addition to the after-tax net profit of $9.3 billion based on net income reports, the scheduled service passenger airlines reported $8.8 billion in pre-tax operating profit in the third quarter of 2015, up from $8.2 billion in the second quarter of 2015 and up from $5.5 billion in the third quarter of 2014. The airlines reported a pre-tax operating profit - as a group - for the 18th consecutive quarter.
Net income (after tax) and operating profit (pre-tax) are two different measures of airline financial performance. Net profit or loss may include non-operating income and expenses, nonrecurring items or income taxes. Operating profit or loss is calculated from operating revenues and expenses before taxes and other nonrecurring items.
Total operating revenue for all U.S. passenger airlines in the July-September third-quarter of 2015 was $45.2 billion. Airlines collected $34.1 billion from fares, 75.4 percent of total third-quarter operating revenue.
Total operating expenses for all passenger airlines in the third-quarter of 2015 were $36.4 billion, of which fuel costs accounted for $7.1 billion, or 19.4 percent, and labor costs accounted for $11.9 billion, or 32.6 percent.
In the third quarter, passenger airlines collected a total of $1.0 billion in baggage fees, 2.3 percent of total operating revenue, and $755 million from reservation change fees, 1.7 percent of total operating revenue. Fees are included for calculations of net income, operating revenue and operating profit or loss.
Baggage fees and reservation change fees are the only ancillary fees paid by passengers that are reported to BTS as separate items. Other fees, such as revenue from seating assignments and on-board sales of food, beverages, pillows, blankets, and entertainment are combined in different categories and cannot be identified separately.
See BTS Airline Financials Release for summary tables and additional data. See airline financial data press releases and the airline financial databases for historic data.
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October Airline On-Time Performance Up From Previous Year, Month
DOT 124-15 Monday, December 14, 2015 Contact: Caitlin Harvey Tel.: (202) 366-4570
October Airline On-Time Performance Up From Previous Year, Month
WASHINGTON – The reporting carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 87.0 percent in October 2015, up from both the 80.0 percent on-time rate in October 2014 and the 86.5 percent mark in September 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report released today. October 2015’s on-time arrival rate was the third highest of the 250 months with comparable records.
In addition, the reporting carriers canceled 0.5 percent of their scheduled domestic flights in October 2015, the second lowest of the 250 months with comparable records, and down from the 1.1 percent cancellation rate posted in October 2014. Only September 2015’s 0.4 percent rate was lower.
The consumer report also includes data on tarmac delays, chronically delayed flights, and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by the reporting carriers. In addition, the consumer report contains statistics on mishandled baggage reports filed by consumers with the carriers and aviation service complaints filed with DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division by consumers regarding a range of issues such as flight problems, baggage, reservation and ticketing, refunds, consumer service, disability, and discrimination. The consumer report also includes reports of incidents involving the loss, death, or injury of animals traveling by air, as required to be filed by U.S. carriers.
This news release is available at https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/october-airline-time-performance-previous-year-month. The full consumer report is available at www.transportation.gov/individuals/air-consumer/air-travel-consumer-reports. Detailed information on flight delays is available at www.bts.gov.
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BTS Statistical Release: September 2015 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
BTS 55-15 Advisory Thursday, December 10, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568 BTS Statistical Release: September 2015 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
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 rose to 84.1 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, following a one month decline. Seasonal adjustment allows the comparing of monthly load factors to all other months.
The September load factor of 84.1, up from 83.6 in August, was below the all-time seasonally-adjusted high of 84.5 in January 2014. 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 load factor rose month-to-month because of a combined increase in passenger travel (RPMs rose from August to September) and decline in capacity.
Trends: Seasonally-adjusted September was the seventh consecutive month in which passenger enplanements reached a seasonally-adjusted all-time high. RPMs rose 0.4 percent from August but were down 0.2 percent from the all-time high in July. Capacity was down 0.2 percent from the all-time high in August. The September load factor (84.1) was the fourth highest all-time.
Unadjusted Systemwide: September load factor (83.0) was the highest for the month of September, up from the previous September high set in 2014 (81.9). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for any September.
Domestic: September load factor (83.8) was the highest for the month of September, up from the previous September high set in 2014 (82.1). The number of passengers and RPMs reached record highs for any September. ASMs were below the September 2007 level.
International: September load factor (81.4) was down from the all-time September high set in 2010 (83.6). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for any September.
For the first nine months of 2015, January through September, systemwide load factor (83.9) equaled the all-time high set in 2014 (83.9). The number of systemwide passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for the first nine months of any year.
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. See Load factor, RPMs, ASMs and Passengers. For more historical data, see Traffic on the BTS website. See Seasonal Adjustment for methodology and additional explanation. See data for airline data since 2000 as well as seasonally-adjusted data for rail, transit, pipelines, trucking and waterways.
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BTS Statistical Release: October 2015 Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI)
BTS 54-15 Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568
BTS Statistical Release: October 2015 Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI)
The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI), which is based on the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry, rose 0.4 percent in October from September, rising after one month of decline, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS). The October 2015 index level (123.2) was 30.1 percent above the April 2009 low during the most recent recession.
The level of freight shipments in October measured by the Freight TSI (123.2) was 0.2 percent below the all-time high level of 123.5 in November 2014 (Table 2A). BTS’ TSI records begin in 2000.
The September index was revised to 122.7 from 123.4 in last month’s release. Monthly numbers for June through August were revised down slightly.
The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments by mode of transportation in tons and ton-miles, which are combined into one index. The index measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.
Analysis: The Freight TSI increase was narrower in terms of modes than it has been in many previous months – trucking, waterborne and pipeline showed gains, while rail carload, rail intermodal and air freight decreased. Similarly, the increase took place against a background of mixed indicators for the general economy – personal income increased, employment increased substantially, while housing starts, the Federal Reserve Board Industrial Production index and the ISM Manufacturing Index declined, indicating slower growth.
Trend: Since hitting a peak in November 2014, the Freight TSI has not had two consecutive months of either growth or decline. October was no exception, as the index increased by 0.4 percent, leaving it only 0.1 percent above its August level. After alternating increases and decreases for the last 11 months, the October TSI was 0.2 percent below the November 2014 high point. The index remains high compared to earlier years however, and has increased by 30.1 percent since its low of 94.7 in April 2009.
Index highs and lows: Freight shipments in October 2015 (123.2) were 30.1 percent higher than the recent low in April 2009 during the recession (94.7). The October 2015 level was 0.2 percent below the historic peak reached in November 2014 (123.5).
Year to date: Freight shipments measured by the index were up 0.5 percent in October compared to the end of 2014.
See Freight TSI Press Release for summary tables and additional data. See Transportation Services Index for historical data and methodology.
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