OREANDA-NEWS. Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (the "Company") today reported its August and year-to-date preliminary traffic statistics.

The Company flew 10.7 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in August 2016, an increase of 3.6 percent from the 10.3 billion RPMs flown in August 2015. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 4.6 percent to 12.7 billion in August 2016, as compared with August 2015 ASMs of 12.1 billion. The August 2016 load factor was 84.6 percent, as compared with 85.4 percent in August 2015. Based on these results and current trends, the Company continues to expect its third quarter 2016 operating revenue per ASM (RASM) to decline in the 3.5 to 4.5 percent range, as compared with third quarter 2015, with approximately 0.5 point of the decline resulting from the Company's July 2016 technology outage. 

Southwest Airlines Co.

Preliminary Comparative Traffic Statistics
           

AUGUST
 

2016

  

2015

  

Change

Revenue passengers carried

10,507,186

  

10,095,376

  

4.1%

Enplaned passengers

12,919,768

  

12,600,993

  

2.5%

Revenue passenger miles (000s)

10,711,587

  

10,342,510

  

3.6%

Available seat miles (000s)

12,665,121

  

12,105,854

  

4.6%

Load factor

84.6%

  

85.4%

  

(0.8) pts.

Average length of haul

1,019

  

1,024

  

(0.5)%

Trips flown

112,266

  

108,817

  

3.2%
 
           

YEAR-TO-DATE
 

2016

  

2015

  

Change

Revenue passengers carried

82,564,316

  

78,381,410

  

5.3%

Enplaned passengers

100,657,455

  

95,998,728

  

4.9%

Revenue passenger miles (000s)

83,493,201

  

78,564,952

  

6.3%

Available seat miles (000s)

99,577,670

  

94,000,207

  

5.9%

Load factor

83.8%

  

83.6%

  

0.2 pts.

Average length of haul

1,011

  

1,002

  

0.9%

Trips flown

875,874

  

846,713

  

3.4%