Southwest Airlines pax up 3.7%, RASM up 7%

Southwest Airlines passenger numbers up 3.7% - traffic highlights:

• Dec-2009:
  • Revenue passengers: 7.0 million, +3.7% year-on-year;
  • Enplaned passengers: 8.4 million, +4.9%;
  • Load factor: 76.2%, +6.5 ppts;
  • Passenger revenue per ASM: +7%;
• 12 months ended 31-Dec-2009:
  • Revenue passengers: 86.3 million, -2.5%;
  • Enplaned passengers: 101.3 million, -0.6%;
  • Load factor: 76.0%, +4.8 ppts. [more]

Southwest Airlines: "Southwest Airlines announced today that the Company flew 6.0 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in December 2009, a 3.0% increase from the 5.8 billion RPMs flown in December 2008. Available seat miles (ASMs) decreased 5.8% to 7.8 billion from the December 2008 level of 8.3 billion. The load factor for the month was 76.2%, compared to 69.7% for the same period last year. For December 2009, passenger revenue per ASM is estimated to have increased in the seven percent range as compared to December 2008," Company statement. Source: Southwest Airlines, 08-Jan-2010.