| CHICAGO, Jan. 3, 2008 - United Airlines today reported its preliminary traffic results for December 2007. The company reported a December passenger load factor of 78.8 percent. Total scheduled revenue passenger miles (RPMs) decreased in December by 1.2 percent on a capacity decrease of 0.1 percent in scheduled available seat miles (ASMs) compared with the same period in 2006.
United's operations were affected by an extremely challenging December, with the company recording 19 severe weather days, the highest in its recorded history for the month, and more than double last December. The company defines severe weather days as days when more than 10 percent of its flights are impacted by weather and air traffic control delays or cancellations.
The company's two largest airports, O'Hare and Denver International (where two out of every three domestic United flights begin or end), were among the three worst performing airports in the country due to ground delay programs prompted by the weather. This resulted in the cancellation of approximately 1,000 United mainline flights.
The severe weather in December also resulted in fourth quarter capacity coming in lower than the company's prior guidance. Year-over-year mainline capacity will be down 1.0 percent versus guidance of down 0.8 percent.
About United
United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAUA) operates more than 3,300* flights a day on United, United Express and Ted to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 897 destinations in 160 countries worldwide. United's 55,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com.
*Based on the flight schedule between Jan. 1, 2007 and Dec. 31, 2007.
|
|
2007
|
2006
|
YOY
|
|
|
December
|
December
|
Change
|
|
|
|
SCHEDULED SERVICE ONLY:
|
|
REVENUE PLANE MILES (000)
|
62,048
|
62,896
|
-1.3%
|
|
NUMBER OF DEPARTURES
|
43,801
|
45,998
|
-4.8%
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGERS (000)
|
5,129
|
5,440
|
-5.7%
|
|
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGER MILES (000):
|
|
NORTH AMERICA
|
5,199,842
|
5,566,216
|
-6.6%
|
|
PACIFIC
|
2,231,524
|
2,150,575
|
3.8%
|
|
ATLANTIC
|
1,453,416
|
1,276,902
|
13.8%
|
|
LATIN AMERICA
|
381,280
|
381,605
|
-0.1%
|
|
SYSTEM
|
9,226,062
|
9,375,298
|
-1.2%
|
|
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT MILES (000):
|
|
NORTH AMERICA
|
6,692,375
|
7,044,272
|
-5.0%
|
|
PACIFIC
|
2,813,485
|
2,651,121
|
6.1%
|
|
ATLANTIC
|
1,756,285
|
1,583,153
|
10.9%
|
|
LATIN AMERICA
|
499,717
|
494,570
|
1.0%
|
|
SYSTEM
|
11,761,862
|
11,773,116
|
-0.1%
|
|
|
|
PASSENGER LOAD FACTOR (PERCENT):
|
|
NORTH AMERICA
|
77.7
|
79.0
|
-1.3 pts
|
|
PACIFIC
|
79.3
|
81.1
|
-1.8 pts
|
|
ATLANTIC
|
82.8
|
80.7
|
2.1 pts
|
|
LATIN AMERICA
|
76.3
|
77.2
|
-0.9 pts
|
|
SYSTEM
|
78.8
|
79.6
|
-0.8 pts
|
|
|
|
CARGO TON MILES (000):
|
|
FREIGHT
|
141,625
|
143,237
|
-1.1%
|
|
MAIL
|
30,215
|
23,735
|
27.3%
|
|
SYSTEM
|
171,840
|
166,972
|
2.9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL SYSTEM INCLUDING CHARTER (000):
|
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGER MILES
|
9,268,454
|
9,379,319
|
-1.2%
|
|
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT MILES
|
11,767,116
|
11,779,783
|
-0.1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
REVENUE PSGR. KM.
|
14,915,723
|
15,094,138
|
-1.2%
|
|
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT KM.
|
18,936,820
|
18,957,205
|
-0.1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL REVENUE TON MILES
|
1,098,685
|
1,104,907
|
-0.6%
|
|
|
|
TOTAL AVAIL. TON MILES
|
1,746,424
|
1,883,937
|
-7.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL REV. TON KM.
|
1,593,301
|
1,602,251
|
-0.6%
|
|
|
|
TOTAL AVAIL. TON KM.
|
2,549,779
|
2,750,548
|
-7.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
YEAR TO DATE
|
YEAR TO DATE
|
YOY
|
|
|
|
|
2007
|
2006
|
Change
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCHEDULED SERVICE ONLY:
|
|
|
REVENUE PLANE MILES (000)
|
754,870
|
768,054
|
-1.7%
|
|
|
|
NUMBER OF DEPARTURES
|
550,438
|
563,424
|
-2.3%
|
|
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGERS (000)
|
68,363
|
69,265
|
-1.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGER MILES (000):
|
|
|
NORTH AMERICA
|
69,853,110
|
70,904,096
|
-1.5%
|
|
|
|
PACIFIC
|
26,431,206
|
26,152,447
|
1.1%
|
|
|
|
ATLANTIC
|
17,058,368
|
15,657,699
|
8.9%
|
|
|
|
LATIN AMERICA
|
4,032,745
|
4,531,807
|
-11.0%
|
|
|
|
SYSTEM
|
117,375,429
|
117,246,049
|
0.1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT MILES (000):
|
|
|
NORTH AMERICA
|
83,915,895
|
86,736,348
|
-3.3%
|
|
|
|
PACIFIC
|
32,462,746
|
31,550,328
|
2.9%
|
|
|
|
ATLANTIC
|
20,389,876
|
18,855,744
|
8.1%
|
|
|
|
LATIN AMERICA
|
5,059,033
|
5,636,799
|
-10.3%
|
|
|
|
|
141,827,550
|
142,779,219
|
-0.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PASSENGER LOAD FACTOR (PERCENT):
|
|
|
NORTH AMERICA
|
83.2
|
81.7
|
1.5 pts
|
|
|
|
PACIFIC
|
81.4
|
82.9
|
-1.5 pts
|
|
|
|
ATLANTIC
|
83.7
|
83.0
|
0.7 pts
|
|
|
|
LATIN AMERICA
|
79.7
|
80.4
|
-0.7 pts
|
|
|
|
SYSTEM
|
82.8
|
82.1
|
0.7 pts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CARGO TON MILES (000):
|
|
|
FREIGHT
|
1,780,944
|
1,753,765
|
1.5%
|
|
|
|
MAIL
|
230,894
|
294,290
|
-21.5%
|
|
|
|
SYSTEM
|
2,011,838
|
2,048,055
|
-1.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL SYSTEM INCLUDING CHARTER (000):
|
|
|
REVENUE PASSENGER MILES
|
117,398,620
|
117,470,063
|
-0.1%
|
|
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT MILES
|
141,889,651
|
143,094,668
|
-0.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
REVENUE PSGR. KM.
|
188,929,599
|
189,044,572
|
-0.1%
|
|
|
|
AVAILABLE SEAT KM.
|
228,343,015
|
230,282,249
|
-0.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL REVENUE TON MILES
|
13,751,678
|
13,795,076
|
-0.3%
|
|
|
|
TOTAL AVAIL. TON MILES
|
22,593,910
|
22,751,497
|
-0.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL REV. TON KM.
|
19,940,946
|
20,004,171
|
-0.3%
|
|
|
|
TOTAL AVAIL. TON KM.
|
32,987,109
|
33,217,186
|
-0.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# # #
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