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Table 4-21: Energy Intensity of Certificated Air Carriers, All Servicesa

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 4-21: Energy Intensity of Certificated Air Carriers, All Servicesa

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Aircraft-miles (millions)                                    
Domestic operations 858 1,134 2,068 1,948 2,523 3,046 3,963 3,854 3,995 4,157 4,380 4,629 4,811 R4,911 R5,035 R5,332 R5,664 5,550
International operations 182 284 475 377 401 415 760 807 904 961 980 998 1,043 1,114 R1,192 R1,225 R1,282 1,258
Available seat-miles (millions)                                    
Domestic operations 52,220 94,787 213,160 241,282 346,028 445,826 563,065 543,638 557,989 571,489 585,438 603,917 626,389 R651,918 R662,313 R699,330 R727,033 704,756
International operations 13,347 29,533 51,960 61,724 86,507 101,963 170,310 171,561 194,784 200,151 198,893 203,160 208,682 R228,689 R237,538 R242,981 R254,048 245,776
Passenger-miles (millions)                                    
Domestic operations 30,557 51,887 104,147 131,728 200,289 270,584 340,231 332,566 347,931 354,177 378,990 394,708 425,596 R450,612 R463,262 R488,357 R516,129 486,459
International operations 8,306 16,789 27,563 31,082 54,363 65,819 117,695 115,389 130,622 135,508 140,391 145,948 153,067 R169,356 R172,255 R180,269 R192,798 178,382
Fuel consumed (million gallons)                                    
Domestic operations 1,954 3,889 7,857 7,558 8,519 10,115 12,429 11,506 11,763 11,959 12,476 12,812 13,187 13,660 13,877 14,402 14,845 14,017
International operations 566 1,280 2,243 1,949 1,747 2,488 3,963 3,940 4,120 4,113 4,311 4,511 4,658 4,964 5,186 5,250 5,475 5,237
Seats per aircraft                                    
Domestic operations 60.9 83.6 103.1 123.9 137.1 146.4 142.1 141.1 139.7 137.4 133.7 130.5 130.2 R132.7 R131.5 R131.1 R128.4 127.0
International operations 73.3 104.0 109.4 163.7 215.7 245.7 224.1 212.6 215.5 208.7 203.0 203.6 200.1 R205.3 R199.2 R198.3 R198.2 195.4
Seat-miles per gallon                                    
Domestic operations 27 24 27 32 41 44 45 47 47 48 47 47 48 R48 R48 R49 R49 50
International operations 24 23 23 32 50 41 43 44 47 49 46 45 45 R46 R46 R46 R46 47
Energy intensity (Btu/passenger-mile)b                                    
Domestic operations 8,633 10,118 10,185 7,746 5,742 5,047 4,932 4,671 4,564 4,558 4,444 4,382 4,183 R4,092 R4,044 R3,981 R3,883 3,890
International operations 9,199 10,292 10,986 8,465 4,339 5,103 4,546 4,610 4,258 R4,098 R4,145 4,173 4,108 R3,957 R4,064 R3,932 R3,833 3,964
Load factor (percent)                                    
Domestic operations 58.5 54.7 48.9 54.6 58.0 60.7 60.4 61.2 62.4 62.0 64.7 65.4 67.9 69.1 R69.9 69.8 R71.0 69.0
International operations 62.2 56.8 53.0 R50.4 62.8 64.6 69.1 67.3 67.1 67.6 70.6 71.8 73.3 74.1 R72.5 R74.2 R75.9 72.6

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit; R = revised.

a U.S. owned carriers only. Operation of foreign-owned carriers in or out of the United States not included.

b Calculation based on unrounded figures not shown here.

NOTES

Aircraft-miles includes all four air-carrier groups (majors, nationals, large regionals, and medium regionals), scheduled and charter, passenger, and all-cargo. Fuel consumed includes majors, nationals, and large regionals, scheduled and charter, passenger, and all-cargo.

Passenger-miles includes all four air-carrier groups, scheduled and charter, passenger service only.

International operations include operations outside the United States, including those between the United States and foreign countries and the United States and its territories or possessions.

Heat equivalent factor used for Btu conversion is 135,000 Btu/gallon.

SOURCES

Aircraft-miles, available seat-miles, passenger-miles, and load factor:

1960-80: Air Transport Association, Internet site http://www.air-transport.org/public/industry, as of July 31, 2002.

1985-2001: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington DC: Annual December issues).

Fuel consumed:

1960-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Internet site http://www.bts.gov/oai/fuel/fuelyearly.html as of Aug. 12, 2002.

Seats per aircraft, seat-miles per gallon, and energy intensiveness:

Derived by calculation.