Impact Of Load Factor On Airline Revenue

American Airlines

Approximate Revenue at 70% Load

Empty Full Load
  • American
  • Delta
  • United
  • Southwest

Profit

$40,000

Revenue Comparison By Airline at 70% Load

  • $90k
  • $80k
  • $70k
  • $60k
  • $50k
  • $40k
  • $30k
  • $20k
  • $10k
  • American
  • Delta
  • United
  • Southwest
  • Break Even
  • Break Even
  • Break Even
  • Break Even
  • $90k
  • $80k
  • $70k
  • $60k
  • $50k
  • $40k
  • $30k
  • $20k
  • $10k

The approximate break-even load factors for each airlines are as follows:

  • American78.9%
  • Delta74.2%
  • United75.6%
  • Southwest72.5%
Assumptions

Utilizing public information in SEC annual filings, our data team has approximated the cost of operating a 216 passenger flight on a 1,000 mile route. The simulated flight represents an average for the airline system-wide and factors industry standard reporting metrics including CASM (Cost Per Available Seat Mile) and TRASM (Total Revenue Per Available Seat Mile) to reach the conclusions presented above. The actual cost to operate a given flight may differ based on market changes or route-specific factors.

* StaySense LLC and FloridaPanhandle.com are not affiliated with any of the airlines depicted in the graphics of this page. While the information here is based on public filings, it should not be used to judge the overall financial health of an airline or for investment purposes. Rather, it is meant to be a visual tool to help understand how airline load factors may influence profitability.