Airlines set all-time semi-annual high for system-wide domestic and international revenue passenger miles and available seat-miles in the first half of 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
System-wide passenger enplanements reached 414.4 million, an all-time high for the January through June time period, up 2.8 percent from the previous high 403.1 million reached in 2016.
Domestic passenger enplanements reached a semi-annual record 360.9 million, up 2.7 percent from the previous high 351.6 million reached in 2016. International passenger enplanements of 53.5 million reached an all-time semi-annual high, up 3.8 percent from the previous high 51.5 million reached in 2016.
The record number of airline passengers in the first six months of 2017 resulted in fewer system-wide empty seats because growth in international passenger travel outpaced growth in international capacity, while the domestic capacity growth rate slightly exceeded passenger travel growth.
System-wide load factor registered at 82.9, down 0.3 points from the all-time January through June high of 83.2 percent reached in 2014. Domestic load factor came in at 84.1 percent, while International load factor was 79.9 percent for the first six months of 2017.
