BTS 47-14 Advisory
Friday, October 17, 2014
Contact: Dave Smallen
Tel:  202-366-5568

 

BTS Releases July 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 71.8 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in July 2014, 3.8 percent more than in July 2013. The systemwide total was the result of a 4.0 percent increase in the number of passengers on domestic flights (61.7 million) and a 2.2 percent increase in passengers on U.S. airlines’ international flights (10.1 million). 

U.S. airlines carried 445.1 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers during the first seven months of 2014, 2.3 percent more than during the same period in 2013. Domestically, U.S. airlines carried 385.3 million passengers, up 2.1 percent from 2013. Internationally, they carried 59.8 million passengers, up 3.5 percent from 2013. See Tables 2, 8 and 14 of Air Traffic Press Releases for previous-year data. 

Load Factor 

The July 2014 systemwide load factor (86.7 percent) was up from 86.6 in July 2013. 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 July 2013 to July 2014 (up 3.0 percent) than the growth in capacity (up 2.9 percent). The domestic load factor (87.8) was a record high for the month of July, topping the previous high of 87.1 set in 2011. Domestic demand grew faster from July 2013 to July 2014 (3.9 percent) than capacity (2.3 percent), resulting in the higher load factor. 

The international load factor (84.4) declined from 86.9 percent in July 2013 which was the highest July international load factor on record.  International demand rose 1.1 percent from July 2013 to July 2014, but was outpaced by 4.1 percent growth in capacity, resulting in the lower load factor. 

For the seven month January-July period, systemwide (83.8) and domestic (85.1) load factors were at all-time highs, exceeding the previous highs in 2013. The international load factor (81.0) was down from 2013. 

Month of July Trends 

Systemwide: For the month of July, the 2014 systemwide passenger total was the second highest on record, but below the all-time high in July 2007. Demand, measured in RPMs, was at the highest July level, exceeding the previous high in 2013.  Demand has exceeded pre-recession levels every month of 2014 except February. Capacity, measured in ASMs, was at the highest July level, exceeding the July 2008 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. 

 

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