Southwest Airlines Reports September Traffic
DALLAS, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced today that the Company flew 5.3 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in September 2008, a 5.9 percent decrease from the 5.6 billion RPMs flown in September 2007. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 0.8 percent to 8.4 billion from the September 2007 level of 8.3 billion. The load factor for the month was 63.4 percent, compared to 67.9 percent for the same period last year.
For the third quarter 2008, Southwest flew 18.8 billion RPMs, compared to the 19.7 billion RPMs recorded for the same period in 2007, a decrease of 4.4 percent. Available seat miles increased 2.2 percent to 26.3 billion from the third quarter 2007 level of 25.7 billion. The third quarter 2008 load factor was 71.6 percent, compared to 76.6 percent for the same period last year.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, Southwest flew 56.2 billion RPMs, compared to the 54.8 billion RPMs recorded for the same period in 2007, an increase of 2.6 percent. Available seat miles increased 4.6 percent to 77.8 billion from the 2007 level of 74.4 billion. The year-to-date load factor was 72.3 percent, compared to 73.7 percent for the same period last year.
This press releases, as well as past releases on Southwest, are available online at http://www.southwest.com/?src=INVRINVSETR000000081002.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS
SEPTEMBER
2008 2007 CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried 6,420,673 6,985,944 (8.1)%
Enplaned passengers 7,353,011 7,979,454 (7.9)%
Revenue passenger miles (000) 5,309,055 5,640,978 (5.9)%
Available seat miles (000) 8,378,982 8,313,707 0.8 %
Load factor 63.4% 67.9% (4.5) pts.
Average length of haul 827 807 2.5 %
Trips flown 95,947 96,099 (0.2)%
THIRD QUARTER
2008 2007 CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried 22,239,543 23,553,366 (5.6)%
Enplaned passengers 25,686,181 27,242,613 (5.7)%
Revenue passenger miles (000) 18,824,428 19,685,690 (4.4)%
Available seat miles (000) 26,289,488 25,715,957 2.2 %
Load factor 71.6% 76.6% (5.0) pts.
Average length of haul 846 836 1.2 %
Trips flown 300,537 297,782 0.9 %
YEAR-TO-DATE
2008 2007 CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried 67,737,706 66,956,318 1.2 %
Enplaned passengers 77,945,753 77,035,110 1.2 %
Revenue passenger miles (000) 56,228,127 54,813,530 2.6 %
Available seat miles (000) 77,818,010 74,377,009 4.6 %
Load factor 72.3% 73.7% (1.4) pts.
Average length of haul 830 819 1.3 %
Trips flown 898,759 865,329 3.9 %
SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.
Released October 2, 2008