AirportWatch | Heathrow claims “larger, fuller, quieter” planes – but load factor still just 70

Heathrow says it had its busiest ever January with 5.45 million passengers travelling through the airport’s terminals. But the figures mask a decline in the number of flight movements and planes are still flying on average one third empty. There were about 37,130 air transport movements (commercial flights) using Heathrow in January, compared to 4 earlier years when there were over 39,000 flights. The reason why Heathrow can increase its number of passengers, with fewer flights is having more passengers per flight. Heathrow’s own figures show a lower number of flights at the airport contrasts with its claims that lack of hub capacity is “a ticking time bomb”. While the central premise of the airport’s drive for expansion has been its claim that it is 98% full, aircraft movements actually fell by 0.8% last month compared to January 2014. Details of Passengers by Market show growth in numbers of passengers to and from emerging economies. However, overall the load factor (the % of the seats in the plane are used) are far lower at Heathrow than many other UK airports, with 70.1% in January. Over recent months, the load factor was 71.3% in November, and about 76% in October and December 2014. It was 76.4% for the full year 2013 and 75% in 2012. Heathrow will say, if there is a fall in numbers, that this means it is losing ground to other hubs, and if they rise, it reinforces their case for new hub capacity.
.

Heathrow has reported an increase of 1.3% in passenger numbers for January 2015 compared to January 2014 but the results present a mixed picture for the airport.

While the central premise of the airport’s drive for expansion has been its claim that it is 98% full, aircraft movements actually fell by 0.8% last month compared to January 2014. And six of the last twelve months have seen fewer flights than the same month the year before. Heathrow began publishing monthly figures in October 2012. [No. Heathrow started to publish figures at least from 2005. See details below].

August was, unsurprisingly, the busiest month ever with 7.05 million passengers passing through terminals, a fraction more than the year before. The impact of the airport’s huge new Terminal 2 which opened in June appears to have been negligible.

There was also information in the figures published last week that continues to contradict claims that the UK is held back by the lack of flights to emerging markets – the so-called BRIC countries.

While the number of passengers travelling to African and Asia/Pacific countries fell there was a 14% increase in passengers to Latin America. Mexico saw an increase of 17.9% and Brazil 4.7%. The Middle East & Central Asia also saw growth of 4.9% and passenger volumes to China grew 2.0%.

But well over a third of Heathrow traffic remained destined for short haul flights to Europe while a quarter of passengers took flights to North America – which saw a 3% jump in numbers.

Heathrow said that “larger, fuller, quieter aircraft at Heathrow continued to be a driver for passenger growth”. Seats per aircraft increased 2% to 209 in January, while passengers per aircraft rose 2.2% to 147.7. However, that remains down from 171 as recently as August and the average load factor remains stubbornly low at just 70.7% according to the airport.

One thing is for certain of course: whatever the figures say Heathrow will present them with its usual spin: a fall in numbers will reveal lost ground to other hubs while an increase will reinforce the case for new hub capacity.

http://www.colnbrook.info/larger-fuller-quieter-planes-gave-heathrow-a-record-january-but-30-of-seats-remain-empty/

In 2012, the average load factor achieved by airlines at Heathrow was around 75 per cent, up from the 67 per cent seen in 1990, as shown in Figure C.6 below

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/78/HAL%20CAP%201133%20Appendix%20C%20-The%20business%20of%20Heathrow%20Airport%20Limited%20(Non%20Con).pdf

There is a lot of Heathrow data here:

Monthly traffic statistics up to January 2015, excluding Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh, Naples, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton (these include passengers, ATMs, passengers by market and cargo, on different tabs)
Monthly traffic statistics up to December 2013, excluding Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh and Naples
Monthly traffic statistics up to December 2012, excluding Gatwick and Naples
Monthly traffic statistics up to December 2010, excluding Gatwick
Monthly traffic statistics up to November 2009, including Gatwick
Annual traffic for 10 years to 2012

Recent load factors for Heathrow:

All of 2013

Seats per aircraft increased 2.8% on 2012 and the average load factor was 76.4%, up 1 percentage point. Passengers per aircraft rose 3.7% to 154.8. – BRIC passengers were up 6.9% over the year, with China up 18.9%, and India up 8.7%.

Feb 2013

Heathrow said its load factor – a measure of how full flights were – rose 2.4% points to 69.6%.

(June, July, August, September 2014 – no load factor given in the Heathrow traffic and business commentary).

.
Oct 2014
Passenger growth continued to be driven by larger, fuller, quieter aircraft at Heathrow. Seats per aircraft increased 0.7% to 204.9, while load factors increased 0.1 percentage points to 76.1%. Passengers per aircraft rose 0.9% to 156.0
http://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pressrelease/details/81/Corporate-operational-24/4339

Nov 2014
Passenger growth continued to be driven by larger, fuller, quieter aircraft at Heathrow. Seats per aircraft increased 1.0% to 204.3, while load factors increased 1.1 percentage points to 71.3%. Passengers per aircraft rose 2.6% to 145.7
http://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pressrelease/details/81/Corporate-operational-24/4351
.

Dec 2014
Larger, quieter aircraft continued to contribute to passenger growth at Heathrow. Seats per aircraft increased 0.6% to 208.4, while load factors remained strong at 76.6%. Passengers per aircraft rose 0.4% to 159.6 – http://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pressrelease/details/81/Corporate-operational-24/4359
.

Jan 2015

while load factors increased 0.2 percentage points to 70.7%. Passengers per aircraft rose 2.2% to 147.7. Within emerging markets, passenger volumes were particularly strong to Latin America – with Mexico increasing 17.9% and Brazil 4.7%. The Middle East & Central Asia also saw growth of 4.9% and passenger volumes to China grew 2.0%

http://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pressrelease/details/81/Corporate-operational-24/4386

Month and year	Totall Passengers	Air Transport Movements – Passenger and Cargo	Cargo Volume (Metric Tonnes)
January 2005 – January 2015		January 2005 – January 2015
Month	Heathrow	Heathrow	Heathrow
January 2005	5,141,123	39,139	98,781
February 2005	4,753,591	35,723	99,555
March 2005	5,708,627	39,634	109,388
April 2005	5,573,022	39,096	108,058
May 2005	5,636,621	40,432	110,613
June 2005	6,000,208	39,640	109,861
July 2005	6,456,943	41,049	110,844
August 2005	6,120,139	40,260	103,194
September 2005	6,042,020	39,928	109,000
October 2005	5,713,074	40,597	124,648
November 2005	5,208,222	38,468	111,801
December 2005	5,332,860	38,020	110,233
January 2006	5,112,718	39,431	101,573
February 2006	4,734,688	36,109	100,281
March 2006	5,491,143	39,924	115,062
April 2006	5,811,931	38,705	102,026
May 2006	5,716,741	40,617	105,445
June 2006	6,122,230	39,801	107,263
July 2006	6,533,091	40,996	107,589
August 2006	5,987,755	39,611	101,564
September 2006	5,896,743	39,781	106,925
October 2006	5,630,492	40,429	111,120
November 2006	5,099,094	38,556	109,453
December 2006	5,206,233	36,826	96,112
January 2007	5,013,163	39,136	95,644
February 2007	4,641,466	36,063	98,403
March 2007	5,646,977	40,181	112,257
April 2007	5,667,573	39,219	104,441
May 2007	5,610,629	40,621	111,613
June 2007	6,014,542	39,959	111,857
July 2007	6,419,432	41,065	111,874
August 2007	6,378,156	41,525	109,516
September 2007	6,022,156	40,108	114,624
October 2007	5,844,064	40,890	114,662
November 2007	5,221,947	38,983	116,456
December 2007	5,374,953	37,963	112,298
January 2008	4,957,887	38,739	105,475
February 2008	4,828,048	37,310	110,919
March 2008	5,612,269	39,313	119,265
April 2008	5,467,910	39,312	120,950
May 2008	5,645,161	40,824	123,862
June 2008	5,958,635	40,195	120,964
July 2008	6,417,660	41,515	123,996
August 2008	6,365,717	40,858	120,285
September 2008	5,802,706	39,846	117,521
October 2008	5,630,399	40,409	119,501
November 2008	4,971,829	37,737	117,621
December 2008	5,251,674	37,081	100,210
January 2009	4,853,191	37,928	92,580
February 2009	4,370,846	34,356	91,046
March 2009	5,193,571	39,968	102,963
April 2009	5,612,596	38,728	93,171
May 2009	5,424,789	39,646	100,045
June 2009	5,775,828	39,230	103,403
July 2009	6,477,476	40,262	109,254
August 2009	6,383,692	39,621	111,324
September 2009	5,783,611	37,869	110,244
October 2009	5,687,438	38,452	120,618
November 2009	5,028,739	37,045	123,439
December 2009	5,316,129	36,921	120,209
January 2010	4,830,092	36,128	106,299
February 2010	4,600,406	35,061	113,021
March 2010	5,211,877	37,363	133,399
April 2010	4,446,530	31,098	100,477
May 2010	5,255,772	37,899	136,165
June 2010	5,783,051	37,989	127,574
July 2010	6,705,882	41,438	130,094
August 2010	6,542,496	41,016	127,200
September 2010	6,221,219	40,002	123,680
October 2010	6,097,490	40,741	138,301
November 2010	5,243,163	38,004	127,961
December 2010	4,809,195	32,481	108,913
January 2011	5,052,726	39,349	116,176
February 2011	4,621,717	36,243	118,325
March 2011	5,331,451	40,159	130,909
April 2011	5,848,560	39,399	121,689
May 2011	5,865,558	40,768	128,083
June 2011	6,146,986	39,963	125,718
July 2011	6,872,514	41,596	128,103
August 2011	6,585,442	41,168	120,942
September 2011	6,310,903	40,528	119,097
October 2011	6,019,465	40,955	128,305
November 2011	5,218,862	37,943	122,769
December 2011	5,517,264	38,126	124,371
January 2012	5,169,518	39,073	112,324
February 2012	4,798,785	36,834	115,920
March 2012	5,697,132	39,890	130,860
April 2012	5,849,171	38,948	118,686
May 2012	5,831,840	40,734	123,172
June 2012	6,245,553	39,685	125,013
July 2012	6,569,647	41,127	126,512
August 2012	6,459,119	41,046	121,469
September 2012	6,345,935	39,616	121,135
October 2012	6,011,761	39,638	125,367
November 2012	5,381,138	37,305	124,057
December 2012	5,625,269	37,445	120,035
January 2013	5,184,924	36,872	106,425
February 2013	4,848,548	35,281	110,948
March 2013	5,921,068	39,413	127,862
April 2013	5,806,681	38,677	115,175
May 2013	6,105,232	40,460	117,849
June 2013	6,531,933	40,013	119,786
July 2013	6,930,334	41,323	118,962
August 2013	6,959,544	41,413	114,225
September 2013	6,559,112	40,308	115,547
October 2013	6,289,291	40,884	124,099
November 2013	5,411,354	38,330	133,376
December 2013	5,784,898	36,578	118,759
January 2014	5,383,877	37,443	112,093
February 2014	4,898,467	35,256	109,803
March 2014	5,753,321	39,470	132,989
April 2014	6,193,738	38,684	120,194
May 2014	6,236,718	41,211	125,982
June 2014	6,600,652	40,320	125,407
July 2014	6,965,356	41,499	128,206
August 2014	7,051,073	41,223	122,831
September 2014	6,577,692	39,837	124,570
October 2014	6,315,187	40,684	134,453
November 2014	5,473,031	37,771	136,419
December 2014	5,925,713	37,297	126,134
January 2015	5,454,689	37,130	115,847

Heathrow claims “larger, fuller, quieter” planes – but load factor still just 70 – 76%

“Larger, fuller, quieter planes” gave Heathrow a record January … but 30% of seats remain empty (in some months)

Recent load factors for Heathrow:

Data from Heathrow statistics at

Share this: