Singapore Airlines passenger load factor dips to 80.5%

Blame it on capacity expansion outpacing passenger carriage growth.

In a release, Singapore Airlines recorded 3.2% year-on-year growth in July 2012, in systemwide passenger carriage (measured in revenue passenger kilometres) while capacity (measured in available seat kilometres) increased by 4.7%. Consequently, passenger load factor (PLF) fell by 1.1 percentage points to 80.5%.

The number of passengers carried increased by 2.7% over the same period the previous year. Load factors softened across all regions except for Americas which saw strong summer travel demand. East Asia region registered the highest decline, as capacity expansion outpaced the growth in passenger carriage. Promotional efforts undertaken to boost carriage will continue to put pressure on passenger yields.