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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 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
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 5,035 5,332 5,664 5,548 5,616 6,085 6,591 (R) 6,556 6,511
International operations 182 284 475 377 401 415 760 807 904 961 980 998 1,043 1,114 1,192 1,225 1,282 1,266 1,225 1,262 1,403 (R) 1,326 1,428
Available seat-miles (millions)                                              
Domestic operations 52,220 94,787 213,160 241,282 346,028 445,826 563,065 543,638 557,989 571,489 585,438 603,917 626,389 651,918 662,313 699,330 727,033 695,200 676,949 689,065 741,674 (R) 752,125 742,461
International operations 13,347 29,533 51,960 61,724 86,507 101,963 170,310 171,561 194,784 200,151 198,893 203,160 208,682 228,689 237,538 242,981 254,048 235,311 215,606 204,755 229,788 (R) 251,580 266,725
Passenger-miles (millions)                                              
Domestic operations 30,557 51,887 104,147 131,728 200,289 270,584 340,231 332,566 347,931 354,177 378,990 394,708 425,596 450,612 463,262 488,357 516,129 486,506 482,310 505,158 557,893 (R) 584,996 591,834
International operations 8,306 16,789 27,563 31,082 54,363 65,819 117,695 115,389 130,622 135,508 140,391 145,948 153,067 169,356 172,255 180,269 192,798 178,343 171,860 168,605 194,173 (R) 211,529 220,138
Fuel consumed (million gallons)                                              
Domestic operations 1,954 3,889 7,857 7,558 8,519 10,115 12,323 11,506 11,763 11,959 12,384 12,672 13,217 13,563 13,335 14,402 14,845 14,017 12,848 12,959 (R) 13,623 13,789 13,458
International operations 566 1,280 2,243 1,949 1,747 2,488 3,909 3,940 4,120 4,113 4,279 4,443 4,618 4,915 4,923 5,250 5,475 5,237 4,991 4,836 (R) 4,932 (R) 5,521 5,827
Seats per aircraft                                              
Domestic operations 60.9 83.6 103.1 123.9 137.1 146.4 142.1 141.1 139.7 137.5 133.7 130.5 130.2 132.7 131.5 131.2 128.4 125.3 120.5 113.2 112.5 (R) 114.7 114.0
International operations 73.3 104.0 109.4 163.7 215.7 245.7 224.1 212.6 215.5 208.3 203.0 203.6 200.1 205.3 199.3 198.4 198.2 185.9 176.1 162.3 163.7 (R) 189.7 186.8
Seat-miles per gallon                                              
Domestic operations 27 24 27 32 41 44 46 47 47 48 47 48 47 48 50 49 49 50 53 53 (R) 54 (R) 55 55
International operations 24 23 23 32 50 41 44 44 47 49 46 46 45 47 48 46 46 45 43 42 (R) 47 (R) 46 46
Energy intensity (Btu/passenger-mile)                                              
Domestic operations 8,633 10,118 10,185 7,746 5,742 5,047 4,890 4,671 4,564 4,558 4,411 4,334 4,193 4,063 3,886 3,981 3,883 3,890 3,596 3,463 (R) 3,296 (R) 3,182 3,070
International operations 9,199 10,292 10,986 8,465 4,339 5,103 4,484 4,609 4,258 4,098 4,114 4,109 4,073 3,918 3,858 3,932 3,833 3,965 3,920 3,872 (R) 3,429 (R) 3,523 3,574
Load factor (percent)                                              
Domestic operations 58.5 54.7 48.9 54.6 58.0 60.7 60.4 61.2 62.4 62.0 64.7 65.4 67.9 69.1 69.9 69.8 71.0 69.1 70.3 72.6 74.4 (R) 77.3 79.0
International operations 62.2 56.8 53.0 50.4 62.8 64.6 69.1 67.3 67.1 67.6 70.6 71.8 73.3 74.1 72.5 74.2 75.9 72.8 76.6 76.5 79.1 (R) 79.4 79.9

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

a U.S. owned carriers only. Operation of foreign-owned carriers in or out of the United States not included.

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.

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 31, 2002.

1985-2006: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington DC: Annual December issues).

Fuel consumed:

1960-75: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Internet site http://www.bts.gov/oai/fuel/fuelyearly.html as of July 21, 2004.

1980-2006: Ibid., Internet site http://www.bts.gov/xml/fuel/report/src/index.xml as of Apr. 25, 2007.

Seats per aircraft, seat-miles per gallon, and energy intensiveness:

Derived by calculation.
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