US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE: LCC) today announced December, fourth quarter and full-year 2009 traffic results. Mainline revenue passenger miles (RPMs) for the month were 4.5 billion, down 3.6 percent versus December 2008. Capacity was 5.7 billion available seat miles (ASMs), down 2.4 percent versus December 2008. Passenger load factor for the month of December was 79.3 percent, down 1.0 point versus December 2008.
US Airways President Scott Kirby said, “Our December consolidated (mainline and Express) passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) decreased approximately two percent versus the same period last year while total revenue per available seat mile decreased approximately one percent on a year-over-year basis. As we close calendar year 2009, we are pleased our revenue performance continued to show improvement with positive trends in both booked yields and corporate revenue.
“We would also like to thank our 32,000 employees for their tremendous efforts to take care of our customers during a challenging holiday travel period. We continued our strong operational performance throughout 2009 and look forward to building upon that momentum into 2010.”
For the first ten months of 2009, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), US Airways was number one in on-time performance among the nation’s five largest network carriers. For the month of December, US Airways’ preliminary on-time performance as reported to the DOT was 75.2 percent with a completion factor of 96.9 percent. Adverse winter weather and new TSA-mandated security protocols impacted these metrics.
The following summarizes US Airways Group’s traffic results for the month, quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, consisting of mainline operated flights as well as US Airways Express flights operated by wholly owned subsidiaries PSA Airlines and Piedmont Airlines.
US Airways Mainline
DECEMBER
2009 2008 % Change
Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 3,523,552 3,783,773 (6.9 )
Atlantic 578,687 524,544 10.3
Latin 385,969 347,676 11.0
Total Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles 4,488,208 4,655,993 (3.6 )
Mainline Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 4,383,398 4,617,875 (5.1 )
Atlantic 752,776 720,175 4.5
Latin 525,607 462,879 13.6
Total Mainline Available Seat Miles 5,661,781 5,800,929 (2.4 )
Mainline Load Factor (%)
Domestic 80.4 81.9 (1.5 ) pts
Atlantic 76.9 72.8 4.1 pts
Latin 73.4 75.1 (1.7 ) pts
Total Mainline Load Factor 79.3 80.3 (1.0 ) pts
Mainline Enplanements
Domestic 3,582,856 3,913,236 (8.4 )
Atlantic 141,550 135,938 4.1
Latin 287,332 283,062 1.5
Total Mainline Enplanements 4,011,738 4,332,236 (7.4 )
QUARTER TO DATE
2009 2008 % Change
Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 10,582,860 11,134,185 (5.0 )
Atlantic 1,884,747 1,667,881 13.0
Latin 869,733 815,565 6.6
Total Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles 13,337,340 13,617,631 (2.1 )
Mainline Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 13,126,292 13,672,603 (4.0 )
Atlantic 2,420,674 2,279,525 6.2
Latin 1,174,101 1,075,336 9.2
Total Mainline Available Seat Miles 16,721,067 17,027,464 (1.8 )
Mainline Load Factor (%)
Domestic 80.6 81.4 (0.8 ) pts
Atlantic 77.9 73.2 4.7 pts
Latin 74.1 75.8 (1.7 ) pts
Total Mainline Load Factor 79.8 80.0 (0.2 ) pts
Mainline Enplanements
Domestic 10,967,871 11,696,230 (6.2 )
Atlantic 466,347 431,311 8.1
Latin 683,191 678,731 0.7
Total Mainline Enplanements 12,117,409 12,806,272 (5.4 )
YEAR TO DATE
2009 2008 % Change
Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 44,314,111 47,914,796 (7.5 )
Atlantic 9,341,654 8,525,523 9.6
Latin 4,235,006 4,129,494 2.6
Total Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles 57,890,771 60,569,813 (4.4 )
Mainline Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 53,253,229 58,084,174 (8.3 )
Atlantic 11,994,666 10,989,785 9.1
Latin 5,480,590 5,077,339 7.9
Total Mainline Available Seat Miles 70,728,485 74,151,298 (4.6 )
Mainline Load Factor (%)
Domestic 83.2 82.5 0.7 pts
Atlantic 77.9 77.6 0.3 pts
Latin 77.3 81.3 (4.0 ) pts
Total Mainline Load Factor 81.8 81.7 0.1 pts
Mainline Enplanements
Domestic 45,246,798 49,252,067 (8.1 )
Atlantic 2,368,010 2,189,843 8.1
Latin 3,401,229 3,378,195 0.7
Total Mainline Enplanements 51,016,037 54,820,105 (6.9 )
Notes:
1)
Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are included in the domestic results.
2)
Latin numbers include the Caribbean.
US Airways Express (Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines)
DECEMBER
2009 2008 % Change
Express Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 160,474 164,208 (2.3 )
Express Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 241,318 256,241 (5.8 )
Express Load Factor (%)
Domestic 66.5 64.1 2.4 pts
Express Enplanements
Domestic 600,537 602,495 (0.3 )
QUARTER TO DATE
2009 2008 % Change
Express Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 519,751 509,325 2.0
Express Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 749,455 781,268 (4.1 )
Express Load Factor (%)
Domestic 69.4 65.2 4.2 pts
Express Enplanements
Domestic 1,955,982 1,887,108 3.6
YEAR TO DATE
2009 2008 % Change
Express Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 2,127,324 2,170,025 (2.0 )
Express Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 3,126,779 3,244,253 (3.6 )
Express Load Factor (%)
Domestic 68.0 66.9 1.1 pts
Express Enplanements
Domestic 7,905,484 7,839,737 0.8
Notes:
1)
Canada is included in domestic results.
Consolidated US Airways Group, Inc.
DECEMBER
2009 2008 % Change
Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 3,684,026 3,947,981 (6.7 )
Atlantic 578,687 524,544 10.3
Latin 385,969 347,676 11.0
Total Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles 4,648,682 4,820,201 (3.6 )
Consolidated Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 4,624,716 4,874,116 (5.1 )
Atlantic 752,776 720,175 4.5
Latin 525,607 462,879 13.6
Total Consolidated Available Seat Miles 5,903,099 6,057,170 (2.5 )
Consolidated Load Factor (%)
Domestic 79.7 81.0 (1.3 ) pts
Atlantic 76.9 72.8 4.1 pts
Latin 73.4 75.1 (1.7 ) pts
Total Consolidated Load Factor 78.7 79.6 (0.9 ) pts
Consolidated Enplanements
Domestic 4,183,393 4,515,731 (7.4 )
Atlantic 141,550 135,938 4.1
Latin 287,332 283,062 1.5
Total Consolidated Enplanements 4,612,275 4,934,731 (6.5 )
QUARTER TO DATE
2009 2008 % Change
Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 11,102,611 11,643,510 (4.6 )
Atlantic 1,884,747 1,667,881 13.0
Latin 869,733 815,565 6.6
Total Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles 13,857,091 14,126,956 (1.9 )
Consolidated Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 13,875,747 14,453,871 (4.0 )
Atlantic 2,420,674 2,279,525 6.2
Latin 1,174,101 1,075,336 9.2
Total Consolidated Available Seat Miles 17,470,522 17,808,732 (1.9 )
Consolidated Load Factor (%)
Domestic 80.0 80.6 (0.6 ) pts
Atlantic 77.9 73.2 4.7 pts
Latin 74.1 75.8 (1.7 ) pts
Total Consolidated Load Factor 79.3 79.3 - pts
Consolidated Enplanements
Domestic 12,923,853 13,583,338 (4.9 )
Atlantic 466,347 431,311 8.1
Latin 683,191 678,731 0.7
Total Consolidated Enplanements 14,073,391 14,693,380 (4.2 )
YEAR TO DATE
2009 2008 % Change
Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
Domestic 46,441,435 50,084,821 (7.3 )
Atlantic 9,341,654 8,525,523 9.6
Latin 4,235,006 4,129,494 2.6
Total Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles 60,018,095 62,739,838 (4.3 )
Consolidated Available Seat Miles (000)
Domestic 56,380,008 61,328,427 (8.1 )
Atlantic 11,994,666 10,989,785 9.1
Latin 5,480,590 5,077,339 7.9
Total Consolidated Available Seat Miles 73,855,264 77,395,551 (4.6 )
Consolidated Load Factor (%)
Domestic 82.4 81.7 0.7 pts
Atlantic 77.9 77.6 0.3 pts
Latin 77.3 81.3 (4.0 ) pts
Total Consolidated Load Factor 81.3 81.1 0.2 pts
Consolidated Enplanements
Domestic 53,152,282 57,091,804 (6.9 )
Atlantic 2,368,010 2,189,843 8.1
Latin 3,401,229 3,378,195 0.7
Total Consolidated Enplanements 58,921,521 62,659,842 (6.0 )
Notes:
1)
Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are included in the domestic results.
2)
Latin numbers include the Caribbean.
US Airways also initiated or announced the following new service offerings during the month of December:
* Commenced its first-ever service to South America with daily, nonstop service from its Charlotte hub to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The year-round service, which originates at the airline’s Philadelphia hub, will be operated with Boeing 767 aircraft with seating for 18 in Envoy, US Airways’ international business class, and 186 in the main cabin
* Initiated new, daily, nonstop service between its largest hub in Charlotte and Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu. The year-round flight complements US Airways’ daily nonstop service to Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island from its Phoenix hub. The flight will be operated with Boeing 767 aircraft with seating for 18 in First Class and 186 in the main cabin.
* Announced daily, year-round nonstop service to Rome from Charlotte beginning on May 13, 2010. The new flight will complement US Airways’ daily nonstop service to Rome from Philadelphia, the airline’s international gateway.
* Inaugurated the airline’s first ever service to Montego Bay, Jamaica from its Western U.S. hub at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. This new route complements existing service to Jamaica from US Airways’ two East Coast hubs in Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia, as well as Boston. Passengers will travel from Phoenix to Montego Bay on an Airbus A319 aircraft with seating for 12 in First Class and 112 in the main cabin.
* Unveiled new seasonal nonstop service to Anchorage, Alaska from its Philadelphia hub to begin June 1, 2010, complementing existing year-round Anchorage service from Phoenix.
