AirTran traffic, capacity, load factor fell in May compared to same month a year ago
By APTuesday, June 2, 2009
AirTran traffic, capacity fell in May
ORLANDO, Fla. — Discount carrier AirTran Airways, a unit of AirTran Holdings Inc., said Tuesday that May traffic, capacity and load factor fell compared to the same month a year ago.
The carrier said it flew 1.54 billion revenue passenger miles in May, an 11.1 percent decline from 1.73 billion revenue passenger miles a year ago.
A revenue passenger mile is one passenger flown one mile.
Capacity, measured in available seat miles, fell 9.6 percent to 1.98 billion, compared to 2.19 billion available seat miles in May 2008.
The airline’s load factor, or the percentage of seats filled, fell 1.3 percentage points to 78 percent from 79.3 percent in May 2008.
Year-to-date, revenue passenger miles fell 5.9 percent to 7.14 billion from 7.59 billion a year ago, available seat miles fell 7.8 percent to 9.22 billion from 10.00 billion a year ago, and load factor rose 1.6 percentage points to 77.5 percent from 75.9 percent a year ago.
