Passenger Load Factor Calculator

Work out passenger load factor instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Passenger Load Factor Calculator

Passenger load factor is passengers carried divided by seats available. It only means something next to the break-even load factor, which is the fill rate at which revenue covers the cost of operating the sector; the gap between the two is the profit margin on that flight.

Formula

Load factor

PLF = passengers / seats x 100; margin = PLF - break-even LF

Worked example

With the default values below, Passenger Load Factor Calculator returns Passenger load factor of 82.22%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Passengers carried: 148 pax
Seats available: 180 seats
Break-even load factor: 71 %

Results

Passenger load factor: 82.22% %
Empty seats: 32 seats
Points above break-even: 11.22 pts
Assessment: Above break-even

Step by step

1Values used
2Load factor
3Passenger load factor= 82.22 %
4Empty seats= 32 seats
5Points above break-even= 11.22 pts
6Assessment= Above break-even

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a high load factor always good?

Not if it was bought with deep discounts. Revenue per available seat kilometre matters more than fill rate alone.

How is break-even load factor found?

Divide the cost per available seat kilometre by the revenue per revenue passenger kilometre.