BTS Statistical Release: 2015 Annual and December U.S. Airline Traffic Data
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that U.S. airlines in 2015 reached all-time annual records for load factor, revenue passenger-miles (RPMs), available seat-miles (ASMs) and passenger enplanements (Tables 13, 15, 17, 19).
2015 annual U.S. airline numbers:
Systemwide: The annual 2015 load factor (83.8) was the highest for any year, up from the previous all-time high set in 2014 (83.4) (Table 13). The number of systemwide passengers (798.4 million) exceeded the previous high of 769.6 million in 2007 (Table 19). The number of RPMs (902.4 billion) exceeded the previous high of 862.5 billion in 2014 (Table 15). The number of ASMs (1.07 trillion) exceeded the previous high of 1.04 trillion in 2007 (Table 17).
Domestic: 2015 load factor (85.0) was the highest for any year, up from the previous all-time high set in 2014 (84.5). The number of domestic passengers (696.2 million) exceeded the previous high of 679.2 million in 2007. The number of RPMs (630.8 billion) exceeded the previous high of 595.3 billion in 2014. The number of ASMs (742.1 billion) exceeded the previous high of 741.2 billion in 2007.
International: 2015 load factor (81.0) was up from 2014 (80.8) and down from annual high reached in 2013 (82.9). The number of international passengers (102.2 million) exceeded the previous high of 99.9 million in 2014. The number of RPMs (271.6 billion) exceeded the previous high of 267.2 billion in 2014. The number of ASMs (335.1 billion) exceeded the previous high of 329.9 billion in 2014.
December monthly U.S. airline numbers:
Systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service load factor – a measure of the use of airline capacity – rose to 84.3 percent in December, seasonally adjusted, following one month of 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 2010 – December 2015
Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares the system use, measured in RPMs as a proportion of system capacity, measured in ASMs.
The seasonally-adjusted load factor rose from November (83.8) to December (84.3) because passenger travel grew faster (1.5 percent increase in RPMs) than system capacity (0.8 percent increase in ASMs) (Tables 3, 5).
Trends:
Seasonally-adjusted
In December, RPMs and ASMs reached all-time monthly highs (Tables 4, 6). The load factor of 84.3 was the third highest on record (Table 2). Systemwide passenger enplanements (68.2 million) and domestic passenger enplanements (59.5 million) were the second highest on record (Tables 8, 10). International passenger enplanements (8.7 million) were the highest on record (Table 12).
Seasonally adjusted trends are for the time period January 2000 to present.
Unadjusted
Systemwide: December load factor (82.9) was up from December 2014 but down from the December high set in 2013 (84.4) (Table 13). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for any December.
Domestic: December load factor (84.0) was up from December 2014 but down from the December high set in 2013 (85.1). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for any December.
International: December load factor (80.3) was down from the all-time December high set in 2013 (82.9). The number of passengers, RPMs and ASMs all reached record highs for the month of December.
Unadjusted trends are for the time period January 1996 to present. Data are available at Customize Table and can be downloaded from the seasonally-adjusted data page.
Seasonally-Adjusted Air Travel
Seasonally-Adjusted Revenue Passenger-Miles
RPMs rose 1.5 percent from November to December following a single month of decline from October to November (Table 3).
RPMs of 77.2 billion in December were the all-time highest seasonally-adjusted total. All 10 of the top 10 all-time highest months for RPMs were in 2015 (Table 4).
Seasonally-Adjusted Available Seat-Miles
ASMs rose 0.8 percent from November to December, the second consecutive month of growth (Table 5).
ASMs of 91.6 billion in December were the all-time highest seasonally-adjusted total. All 10 of the top 10 all-time highest months for ASMs were in 2015 (Table 6).
Seasonally-Adjusted Passenger Enplanements
Systemwide: Systemwide passenger enplanements rose 0.5 percent from November to December following a single month of decline from October to November (Table 7). The systemwide total rose from November to December because of growth in domestic (0.5 percent) and growth in international (1.1 percent) enplanements (Tables 9, 11).
Enplanements of 68.2 million in December were the second all-time highest seasonally-adjusted total, 0.1 million or 0.2 percent less than the all-time seasonally-adjusted high reached in October 2015. All 10 of the top 10 all-time highest months for systemwide enplanements were in 2015 (Table 8).
Domestic: Enplanements on domestic flights rose 0.5 percent from November to December following a single month of decline from October to November (Table 9). Domestic enplanements in December (59.5 million) were the second highest all-time seasonally-adjusted total, 0.4 percent less than the all-time seasonally adjusted high in October 2015 (59.7 million). Nine of the top 10 all-time highest months for domestic enplanements were in 2015 (Table 9, 10).
International: U.S. airlines’ international enplanements rose 1.1 percent from November to December, the second consecutive month of growth. The December level (8.7 million) was the highest all-time seasonally-adjusted total. Eight of the top 10 all-time highest months for international enplanements were in 2015 and two were 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 82.9 percent in December, up from 82.4 in November and up from 82.6 in December 2014 (Table 13).
The December load factor of 82.9 was down from the all-time unadjusted high for the month of December (84.4) reached in 2007 (Table 14).
The load factor rose year-to-year because passenger travel grew faster (4.2 percent increase in RPMs) than system capacity (3.9 percent increase in ASMs) (Tables 15, 17).
Unadjusted Revenue Passenger-Miles
RPMs in December increased 6.8 percent from November and increased 4.2 percent from December 2014 (Table 15).
RPMs of 74.8 billion in December were 15.2 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high reached in July 2015. Three of the top 10 all-time highest months for RPMs were in 2015 and three were in 2014 (Tables 15, 16).
Unadjusted Available Seat-Miles
ASMs in December increased 6.3 percent from November and 3.9 percent from December 2014 (Table 17).
ASMs of 90.3 billion in December were 10.6 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high reached in July 2015. Four of the top 10 all-time highest months for ASMs were in 2015 and two were in 2014 (Table 18).
Unadjusted Passenger Enplanements
Systemwide: Systemwide unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2015 (66.4 million) rose 2.8 percent from November (64.6 million) and 4.1 percent from December 2014 (63.8 million) (Table 19).
The December 2015 systemwide enplanement total (66.4 million) was 12.2 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high reached in July 2015 (75.6 million). December 2015 level was the all-time unadjusted high for the month of December (Tables 19, 20).
Domestic: Domestic unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2015 (57.9 million) rose 1.3 percent from November (57.2 million) and 4.3 percent from December 2014 (55.5 million) (Table 21).
Domestic unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2015 (57.9 million) were 11.1 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high reached in July 2015 (65.1 million). The December 2015 level was the all-time unadjusted high for the month of December (Tables 21, 22).
International: International unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2015 (8.5 million) rose 14.7 percent from November (7.4 million) and 2.9 percent from December 2014 (8.3 million) (Table 23).
International unadjusted passenger enplanements in December 2015 (8.5 million) were 18.8 percent less than the all-time unadjusted high reached in July 2015 (10.5 million). The December 2015 level was the all-time unadjusted high for the month of December (Tables 23, 24).
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.
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 and 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 77 carriers as of March 1 for U.S. carrier scheduled civilian operations.
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 December and international numbers through September 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 121,222 foreign point-to-point passengers. For January through December, U.S. carriers reported 1,299,759 foreign point-to-point passengers.
Data are subject to revision. BTS has scheduled April 14 for the release of January traffic data. None of the data are from samples so measures of statistical significance do not apply.
Table 1. U.S. Airlines Seasonally-Adjusted Monthly Load Factor
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs/ASMs (both seasonally-adjusted) in percent
Scheduled service only
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82.3 | 83.3 | 84.5 | 83.0 |
| February | 82.3 | 83.6 | 83.9 | 83.9 |
| March | 82.8 | 82.9 | 83.0 | 83.3 |
| April | 82.9 | 83.0 | 83.8 | 83.0 |
| May | 82.3 | 83.0 | 83.9 | 83.1 |
| June | 82.8 | 83.4 | 83.1 | 83.4 |
| July | 82.5 | 82.9 | 83.3 | 84.3 |
| August | 83.1 | 82.8 | 83.4 | 83.7 |
| September | 82.7 | 82.9 | 83.2 | 84.2 |
| October | 84.1 | 82.8 | 83.1 | 85.0 |
| November | 83.2 | 83.5 | 82.6 | 83.8 |
| December | 83.2 | 83.3 | 82.9 | 84.3 |
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 2. 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Load Factors, 2000-2015
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs/ASMs (both seasonally-adjusted) in percent
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Date | Seasonally-Adjusted Load Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 2015 | 85.0 |
| 2 | January 2014 | 84.5 |
| 3 | December 2015 | 84.3 |
| 4 | July 2015 | 84.3 |
| 5 | September 2015 | 84.2 |
| 6 | October 2012 | 84.1 |
| 7 | February 2014 | 83.9 |
| 8 | May 2014 | 83.9 |
| 9 | February 2015 | 83.9 |
| 10 | April 2014 | 83.8 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68.0 | 69.4 | 71.1 | 73.0 |
| February | 68.6 | 70.7 | 71.2 | 73.1 |
| March | 68.9 | 69.3 | 71.6 | 73.7 |
| April | 68.7 | 69.6 | 71.6 | 74.1 |
| May | 68.3 | 69.8 | 71.9 | 74.7 |
| June | 68.4 | 70.2 | 71.7 | 75.0 |
| July | 68.1 | 69.7 | 72.0 | 76.4 |
| August | 68.6 | 70.1 | 72.0 | 76.0 |
| September | 68.4 | 70.0 | 72.0 | 76.3 |
| October | 68.2 | 70.3 | 72.4 | 77.1 |
| November | 68.9 | 70.9 | 72.2 | 76.1 |
| December | 68.7 | 70.8 | 73.2 | 77.2 |
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), 2000-2015
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs (seasonally-adjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted RPMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 2015 | 77.2 |
| 2 | October 2015 | 77.1 |
| 3 | July 2015 | 76.4 |
| 4 | September 2015 | 76.3 |
| 5 | November 2015 | 76.1 |
| 6 | August 2015 | 76.0 |
| 7 | June 2015 | 75.0 |
| 8 | May 2015 | 74.7 |
| 9 | April 2015 | 74.1 |
| 10 | March 2015 | 73.7 |
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 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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82.6 | 83.3 | 84.1 | 87.9 |
| February | 83.3 | 84.5 | 84.8 | 87.2 |
| March | 83.2 | 83.7 | 86.3 | 88.5 |
| April | 82.9 | 83.9 | 85.5 | 89.3 |
| May | 82.9 | 84.1 | 85.7 | 89.9 |
| June | 82.7 | 84.1 | 86.3 | 90.0 |
| July | 82.5 | 84.1 | 86.4 | 90.6 |
| August | 82.6 | 84.6 | 86.3 | 90.8 |
| September | 82.7 | 84.5 | 86.6 | 90.7 |
| October | 81.1 | 84.9 | 87.1 | 90.7 |
| November | 82.8 | 85.0 | 87.4 | 90.9 |
| December | 82.6 | 85.0 | 88.3 | 91.6 |
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), 2000-2015
Systemwide (Domestic + International) ASMs (seasonally-adjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted ASMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 2015 | 91.6 |
| 2 | November 2015 | 90.9 |
| 3 | August 2015 | 90.8 |
| 4 | October 2015 | 90.7 |
| 5 | September 2015 | 90.7 |
| 6 | July 2015 | 90.6 |
| 7 | June 2015 | 90.0 |
| 8 | May 2015 | 89.9 |
| 9 | April 2015 | 89.3 |
| 10 | March 2015 | 88.5 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61.13 | 61.79 | 62.72 | 64.65 |
| February | 61.46 | 62.90 | 62.89 | 64.65 |
| March | 61.11 | 61.22 | 63.72 | 65.32 |
| April | 61.47 | 61.66 | 63.40 | 65.64 |
| May | 60.98 | 61.63 | 63.54 | 66.07 |
| June | 61.14 | 61.98 | 63.46 | 66.25 |
| July | 61.17 | 61.29 | 63.67 | 66.94 |
| August | 61.46 | 61.64 | 63.54 | 67.38 |
| September | 61.26 | 61.96 | 63.84 | 67.61 |
| October | 61.11 | 62.02 | 63.89 | 68.31 |
| November | 61.19 | 63.03 | 64.28 | 67.79 |
| December | 61.80 | 62.61 | 64.29 | 68.16 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market
Table 8. Systemwide 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2015
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 | October 2015 | 68.31 |
| 2 | December 2015 | 68.16 |
| 3 | November 2015 | 67.79 |
| 4 | September 2015 | 67.61 |
| 5 | August 2015 | 67.38 |
| 6 | July 2015 | 66.94 |
| 7 | June 2015 | 66.25 |
| 8 | May 2015 | 66.07 |
| 9 | April 2015 | 65.64 |
| 10 | March 2015 | 65.32 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53.39 | 53.85 | 54.41 | 56.26 |
| February | 53.65 | 54.83 | 54.62 | 56.28 |
| March | 53.24 | 53.20 | 55.37 | 56.94 |
| April | 53.60 | 53.66 | 54.99 | 57.25 |
| May | 53.16 | 53.57 | 55.14 | 57.63 |
| June | 53.35 | 53.85 | 55.08 | 57.73 |
| July | 53.39 | 53.10 | 55.31 | 58.30 |
| August | 53.63 | 53.43 | 55.21 | 58.73 |
| September | 53.28 | 53.77 | 55.56 | 58.99 |
| October | 53.20 | 53.78 | 55.70 | 59.71 |
| November | 53.26 | 54.80 | 55.96 | 59.19 |
| December | 53.89 | 54.34 | 55.91 | 59.47 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market
Table 10. Domestic 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2015
Domestic passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (seasonally-adjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Seasonally-Adjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 2015 | 59.71 |
| 2 | December 2015 | 59.47 |
| 3 | November 2015 | 59.19 |
| 4 | September 2015 | 58.99 |
| 5 | August 2015 | 58.73 |
| 6 | July 2015 | 58.30 |
| 7 | June 2015 | 57.73 |
| 8 | May 2015 | 57.63 |
| 9 | April 2015 | 57.25 |
| 10 | August 2007 | 57.24 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.74 | 7.95 | 8.31 | 8.39 |
| February | 7.81 | 8.07 | 8.27 | 8.36 |
| March | 7.87 | 8.03 | 8.35 | 8.38 |
| April | 7.87 | 8.00 | 8.41 | 8.39 |
| May | 7.82 | 8.06 | 8.40 | 8.44 |
| June | 7.79 | 8.13 | 8.38 | 8.52 |
| July | 7.79 | 8.19 | 8.35 | 8.64 |
| August | 7.83 | 8.21 | 8.32 | 8.65 |
| September | 7.97 | 8.19 | 8.29 | 8.62 |
| October | 7.91 | 8.24 | 8.19 | 8.59 |
| November | 7.93 | 8.23 | 8.32 | 8.60 |
| December | 7.91 | 8.27 | 8.38 | 8.69 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market
Table 12. International 10 Months with Highest Seasonally-Adjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2015
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 2015 | 8.69 |
| 2 | August 2015 | 8.65 |
| 3 | July 2015 | 8.64 |
| 4 | September 2015 | 8.62 |
| 5 | November 2015 | 8.60 |
| 6 | October 2015 | 8.59 |
| 7 | June 2015 | 8.52 |
| 8 | May 2015 | 8.44 |
| 9 | April 2014 | 8.41 |
| 10 | May 2014 | 8.40 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 77.6 | 78.9 | 80.3 | 79.1 |
| February | 76.6 | 79.2 | 79.8 | 80.2 |
| March | 83.0 | 84.3 | 83.5 | 83.9 |
| April | 82.5 | 81.6 | 83.4 | 82.5 |
| May | 83.5 | 84.2 | 85.0 | 84.1 |
| June | 86.5 | 87.0 | 86.4 | 86.4 |
| July | 86.6 | 86.6 | 86.7 | 87.4 |
| August | 86.5 | 86.1 | 86.5 | 86.4 |
| September | 81.6 | 81.6 | 81.9 | 83.0 |
| October | 83.4 | 82.2 | 82.8 | 85.0 |
| November | 81.9 | 79.3 | 79.8 | 82.4 |
| December | 81.5 | 84.4 | 82.6 | 82.9 |
| 12 Mo. Value | 82.8 | 83.1 | 83.4 | 83.8 |
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, 2000-2015
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs/ASMs (both unadjusted) in percent
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted Load Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2015 | 87.4 |
| 2 | June 2013 | 87.0 |
| 3 | July 2011 | 86.9 |
| 4 | July 2010 | 86.8 |
| 4 | July 2010 | 86.8 |
| 5 | July 2014 | 86.7 |
| 6 | July 2013 | 86.6 |
| 7 | July 2012 | 86.6 |
| 8 | June 2012 | 86.5 |
| 9 | August 2012 | 86.5 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61.1 | 62.4 | 64.1 | 66.0 |
| February | 57.5 | 57.5 | 57.9 | 59.8 |
| March | 70.8 | 72.2 | 73.6 | 75.8 |
| April | 67.8 | 67.8 | 70.7 | 73.1 |
| May | 71.2 | 73.0 | 75.2 | 78.0 |
| June | 76.0 | 77.9 | 79.5 | 82.7 |
| July | 79.6 | 81.3 | 83.7 | 88.3 |
| August | 77.7 | 79.3 | 81.2 | 85.2 |
| September | 65.2 | 66.6 | 68.4 | 72.6 |
| October | 67.0 | 69.1 | 71.3 | 76.1 |
| November | 63.4 | 63.0 | 65.2 | 70.0 |
| December | 65.9 | 70.4 | 71.8 | 74.8 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 823.2 | 840.4 | 862.5 | 902.4 |
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), 2000-2015
Systemwide (Domestic + International) RPMs (unadjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted RPMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2015 | 88.3 |
| 2 | August 2015 | 85.2 |
| 3 | July 2014 | 83.7 |
| 4 | June 2015 | 82.7 |
| 5 | July 2013 | 81.3 |
| 6 | August 2014 | 81.2 |
| 7 | July 2011 | 80.4 |
| 8 | July 2007 | 79.9 |
| 9 | July 2012 | 79.6 |
| 10 | June 2014 | 79.5 |
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 17. U.S. Airlines Unadjusted Monthly Monthly Available Seat-Miles (ASMs)
Systemwide (Domestic + International) ASMs (unadjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 78.7 | 79.2 | 79.8 | 83.4 |
| February | 75.0 | 72.6 | 72.5 | 74.5 |
| March | 85.3 | 85.6 | 88.2 | 90.3 |
| April | 82.1 | 83.1 | 84.8 | 88.6 |
| May | 85.2 | 86.7 | 88.5 | 92.8 |
| June | 87.8 | 89.5 | 92.0 | 95.7 |
| July | 91.9 | 93.8 | 96.5 | 101.0 |
| August | 89.9 | 92.2 | 94.0 | 98.6 |
| September | 80.0 | 81.5 | 83.5 | 87.5 |
| October | 80.3 | 84.0 | 86.1 | 89.5 |
| November | 77.4 | 79.5 | 81.7 | 84.9 |
| December | 80.9 | 83.4 | 86.8 | 90.3 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 994.5 | 1,011.1 | 1,034.4 | 1,077.1 |
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 18. 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Seat-Miles (ASMs), 2000-2015
Systemwide (Domestic + International) ASMs (unadjusted) in billions (000,000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted ASMs in billions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2015 | 101.0 |
| 2 | August 2015 | 98.6 |
| 3 | July 2014 | 96.5 |
| 4 | June 2015 | 95.7 |
| 5 | August 2014 | 94.0 |
| 6 | July 2013 | 93.8 |
| 7 | July 2008 | 93.7 |
| 8 | July 2007 | 92.9 |
| 9 | August 2007 | 92.8 |
| 10 | May 2015 | 92.8 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54.44 | 55.35 | 55.81 | 57.78 |
| February | 53.11 | 52.49 | 52.44 | 54.16 |
| March | 64.46 | 65.10 | 66.44 | 68.20 |
| April | 61.50 | 60.98 | 63.49 | 65.92 |
| May | 63.68 | 64.79 | 66.51 | 68.93 |
| June | 66.61 | 67.08 | 68.60 | 71.27 |
| July | 69.19 | 69.22 | 71.89 | 75.63 |
| August | 67.76 | 67.73 | 69.53 | 72.87 |
| September | 57.42 | 58.19 | 59.99 | 63.90 |
| October | 60.93 | 62.16 | 64.49 | 68.74 |
| November | 58.74 | 57.60 | 59.74 | 64.59 |
| December | 58.87 | 62.49 | 63.78 | 66.40 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 736.71 | 743.18 | 762.71 | 798.39 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market
Table 20. Systemwide 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2015
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 2015 | 75.63 |
| 2 | August 2015 | 72.87 |
| 3 | July 2007 | 72.40 |
| 4 | July 2014 | 71.89 |
| 5 | August 2007 | 71.34 |
| 6 | June 2015 | 71.27 |
| 7 | July 2005 | 70.57 |
| 8 | July 2008 | 70.47 |
| 9 | July 2011 | 69.91 |
| 10 | June 2007 | 69.69 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47.08 | 47.82 | 47.96 | 49.73 |
| February | 46.41 | 45.74 | 45.51 | 47.16 |
| March | 56.20 | 56.57 | 57.76 | 59.56 |
| April | 53.69 | 53.23 | 55.25 | 57.70 |
| May | 55.75 | 56.56 | 57.89 | 60.25 |
| June | 57.90 | 57.99 | 59.26 | 61.81 |
| July | 59.69 | 59.31 | 61.76 | 65.13 |
| August | 58.65 | 58.12 | 59.76 | 62.77 |
| September | 50.14 | 50.77 | 52.53 | 56.15 |
| October | 53.78 | 54.71 | 57.08 | 60.90 |
| November | 51.85 | 50.54 | 52.58 | 57.15 |
| December | 51.17 | 54.33 | 55.49 | 57.87 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 642.31 | 645.69 | 662.83 | 696.18 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market
Table 22. Domestic 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2015
Domestic passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2015 | 65.13 |
| 2 | July 2007 | 63.46 |
| 3 | August 2015 | 62.77 |
| 4 | August 2007 | 62.66 |
| 5 | July 2005 | 62.40 |
| 6 | June 2015 | 61.81 |
| 7 | July 2014 | 61.76 |
| 8 | June 2007 | 61.49 |
| 9 | July 2008 | 61.40 |
| 10 | October 2015 | 60.90 |
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
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.36 | 7.53 | 7.85 | 8.06 |
| February | 6.70 | 6.75 | 6.93 | 7.00 |
| March | 8.26 | 8.53 | 8.68 | 8.64 |
| April | 7.80 | 7.75 | 8.24 | 8.22 |
| May | 7.93 | 8.22 | 8.62 | 8.67 |
| June | 8.71 | 9.08 | 9.34 | 9.46 |
| July | 9.50 | 9.91 | 10.13 | 10.50 |
| August | 9.11 | 9.61 | 9.77 | 10.09 |
| September | 7.29 | 7.43 | 7.46 | 7.75 |
| October | 7.15 | 7.45 | 7.41 | 7.84 |
| November | 6.89 | 7.06 | 7.16 | 7.44 |
| December | 7.71 | 8.16 | 8.29 | 8.53 |
| 12 Mo. Total | 94.41 | 97.48 | 99.88 | 102.20 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market
Table 24. International 10 Months with Highest Unadjusted Available Passenger Enplanements, 2000-2015
International passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines (unadjusted) in millions (000,000)
Scheduled service only
| Rank | Month | Unadjusted enplanements in millions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2015 | 10.50 |
| 2 | July 2014 | 10.13 |
| 3 | August 2015 | 10.09 |
| 4 | July 2013 | 9.91 |
| 5 | August 2014 | 9.77 |
| 6 | August 2013 | 9.61 |
| 7 | July 2011 | 9.60 |
| 8 | July 2012 | 9.50 |
| 9 | June 2015 | 9.46 |
| 10 | June 2014 | 9.34 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market
