Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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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
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 4,911 5,031 5,176
International operations 182 284 475 377 401 415 760 807 904 961 980 998 1,043 1,114 1,191 1,197
Available seat-miles (millions)R                                
Domestic operations 52,220 94,787 213,160 241,282 346,028 445,826 563,065 543,638 557,989 571,489 585,438 603,917 626,389 640,319 649,442 686,940
International operations 13,347 29,533 51,960 61,724 86,507 101,963 170,310 171,561 194,784 200,151 198,893 203,160 208,682 216,913 224,728 230,909
Passenger-miles (millions)R                                
Domestic operations 30,557 51,887 104,147 131,728 200,289 270,584 340,231 332,566 347,931 354,177 378,990 394,708 425,596 442,640 455,799 479,689
International operations 8,306 16,789 27,563 31,082 54,363 65,819 117,695 115,389 130,622 135,508 140,391 145,948 153,067 160,779 163,656 171,908
Fuel consumed (million gallons)                                
Domestic operations 1,954 3,889 7,857 7,558 9,096 R10,115 R12,429 R11,506 R11,763 R11,959 R12,476 12,812 R13,187 13,660 13,877 14,402
International operations 566 1,280 2,243 1,949 1,938 R2,488 R3,963 R3,940 R4,120 R4,113 R4,311 R4,511 R4,658 4,964 5,186 5,250
Seats per aircraftR                                
Domestic operations 60.9 83.6 103.1 123.9 137.1 146.4 142.1 141.1 139.7 137.4 133.7 130.5 130.2 131.1 129.1 132.7
International operations 73.3 104.0 109.4 163.7 215.7 245.7 224.1 212.6 215.5 208.7 203.0 203.6 200.1 194.7 188.7 192.9
Seat-miles per gallonR                                
Domestic operations 27 24 27 32 38 44 45 47 47 48 47 47 48 47 47 48
International operations 24 23 23 32 45 41 43 44 47 49 46 45 45 44 43 44
Energy intensity (Btu/passenger-mile)b, R                                
Domestic operations 8,633 10,118 10,185 7,746 6,131 5,047 4,932 4,671 4,564 4,558 4,444 4,382 4,183 4,146 4,123 4,053
International operations 9,199 10,292 10,986 8,465 4,813 5,103 4,546 4,610 4,258 4,099 4,161 4,173 4,108 4,168 4,278 4,123
Load factor (%)                                
Domestic operations R58.5 R54.7 R48.9 R54.6 R58.0 R60.7 R60.4 R61.2 R62.4 R62.0 R64.7 R65.4 R67.9 69.1 70.2 69.8
International operations R62.2 R56.8 R53.0 R54.4 R62.8 R64.6 R69.1 R67.3 R67.1 R67.6 R70.6 R71.8 R73.3 74.1 R72.8 74.4

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.

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

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. 
Domestic and international load factor values for 1999 are derived by calculation.
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 5, 2000.
1985-98: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington DC: Annual December issues).
Fuel consumed: 
1960-99: 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 July 5, 2000.
Seats per aircraft, seat-miles per gallon, and energy intensiveness: Derived by calculation.



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