Southwest Aug-2009 pax down 3.0%, load factor up 6 ppts

Southwest passenger numbers down 3.0% - traffic highlights:

• Revenue passengers carried: 7.5 million, -3.0% year-on-year;
• Enplaned passengers: 8.9 million, -0.9%;
• Load factor: 80.2%, +5.6 ppts. [more]

Southwest: "Southwest Airlines Co announced today that the Company flew 6.7 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in August 2009, a 1.0% increase from the 6.6 billion RPMs flown in August 2008. Available seat miles (ASMs) decreased 6.1% to 8.3 billion from the August 2008 level of 8.9 billion. The load factor for the month was 80.2%, compared to 74.6% for the same period last year. For August 2009, passenger revenue per ASM is estimated to have decreased in the five to six percent range as compared to August 2008," Company statement. Source: Southwest, 04-Sep-2009.