Load Factors

[LGS6753]

Seeing LF info posted on various threads, I thought I'd draw the information together. This is not a complete list - privately owned airlines don't post this info, and it seems a mainly Anglo-Saxon pastime, but here goes...

Airline, 2008 January %LF, Difference over January 2007.

Monarch Scheduled 73.8 + 4.9
Ryanair 69 - 2
Silverjet 54 N/A
Sky Europe 58.4 - 15.3
EasyJet 72.0 - 2.9
American Airlines 76.6 + 1.3
British Airways 69.2 - 0.7
Delta Air Lines 75.4 + 1.7
Northwest 80.5 + 1.4
Southwest 64.2 + 0.4
United Airlines 76.5 - 1.5
US Airways 75.2 +1.4

[Buster the Bear]

Sky Europe......that is frightening!

[LGS6753]

Buster -

Apparently it's because they have had a large increase in capacity over the period. Nonetheless, I share your concerns....

[Viewedfromabove]

Loads of data on variouus national CAA/DOT websites.

Try www.caa.co.uk/airlinestatistics (http://www.caa.co.uk/airlinestatistics)

Anyway, load factor isn't a single simple measure.

There are several ways of measuring it based on pax/seats or tonnes flown/tonnes available or weighted for loads and distance flown (RPK/RTK and ASK/ATK, with further wrinkles for combination self-loading and non-self loading traffic varieties,

What really matters is how the particular load factor measure compares with the break-even load factor calculated on the same basis.

If your load factor is 85% and your breakeven is 90% your'e stuffed.

If your breakeven is 105% your stuffed, embalmed, buried and cremated, regardless of any actual load factors.