Airline load factor: meaning, formula and rankings

Passenger load factor is the share of an airline’s seat capacity that is filled with paying passengers. It is calculated as revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) divided by available seat kilometres (ASK) and expressed as a percentage. A load factor of 85% means that, across the network, 85% of the seat-kilometres flown were sold.

Explainer · Definitions checked on 6 October 2026. Tables update automatically with the airline database.

How to calculate load factor

Load factor = RPK ÷ ASK × 100

A flight with 180 seats flying 1,000 km produces 180,000 ASK. If 153 passengers are on board for the whole distance, it carries 153,000 RPK. Load factor = 153,000 ÷ 180,000 = 85%.

Across a whole network the measure is weighted by distance: a full long-haul flight counts for more than a full short hop. That is why an airline’s reported load factor is not the simple average of how full each flight was.

Passenger load factor and seat load factor

Most network airlines report passenger load factor (RPK ÷ ASK). Some low-cost carriers report a seat load factor instead: seats sold divided by seats flown, without weighting by distance. Ryanair, for example, reports load factor on a seats-sold basis. The two measures are close for short-haul networks but are not identical, so compare like with like.

Airline load factors: latest full-year ranking

Across the 70 airlines in our database that report a passenger or seat load factor for their latest full year, the median is 83.7%.

Latest full year reported by each company in our database (70 airlines). Fiscal years end in different months; "Group" figures cover a wider business than one airline. Figures are not converted or estimated. Updated automatically when the airline data is refreshed.

Is a higher load factor always better?

No. A fuller aircraft only helps if the fares cover the cost of flying it. Airlines can raise load factor by discounting, which lowers yield; passenger unit revenue is yield multiplied by load factor, so a few extra points of load factor can be more than offset by lower fares. What matters is how far actual load factor sits above the break-even load factor, and how RASK compares with CASK.

Very high load factors also leave little room to accommodate late, high-fare bookings or to recover passengers when flights are disrupted.

Why load factors differ between airlines

• Business model: ultra-low-cost carriers price to fill seats; premium network carriers may accept lower loads for higher fares.
• Network and season: leisure routes peak in summer; business routes and long-haul flows have different patterns.
• Reporting scope: group figures can include regional partners or cargo-focused flying; fiscal years end in different months.
• Definition: seat-based and distance-weighted measures are not the same (see above).

Common questions

What is load factor in aviation?

Load factor is the percentage of an airline’s seat capacity that is sold. Passenger load factor equals revenue passenger kilometres divided by available seat kilometres.

How do you calculate passenger load factor?

Divide revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) by available seat kilometres (ASK) and multiply by 100. For example, 153,000 RPK on 180,000 ASK is an 85% load factor.

What is a good load factor for an airline?

There is no single target. Most large airlines report full-year load factors in the 80s per cent, and many low-cost carriers report 90% or more, but profitability depends on fares and costs as well as on how full the aircraft are.

What is the difference between load factor and break-even load factor?

Load factor is how full the aircraft actually are. Break-even load factor is how full they need to be for revenue to cover operating costs at current fares. The gap between the two drives operating profit.

Related explainers and data

• ASK and RPK
• Airline yield
• Break-even load factor
• RASK and CASK
• Airline comparison tool for company-reported figures across more than 100 airlines