Passenger Load Factor (PLF) Data – Coverage, Methodology & Updates

ch-aviation's Passenger Load Factor (PLF) dataset provides a comprehensive view of airline capacity utilisation, drawing on data from hundreds of carriers globally. This article explains what the dataset covers, how the data is sourced, what to expect in terms of timeliness, and how historical records are managed.

What does the PLF dataset cover?

The dataset is organised across two files:

• Monthly data – Month-by-month records from 2017 to the latest available months in 2026, covering 508 unique airlines and over 31,000 rows.
• Annual data – Full-year aggregates from 2010 to 2025, covering 785 unique airlines across approximately 6,500 rows.

Both files cover commercial airline operators from all major regions, including Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

How is the data collected?

Data is gathered through a combination of direct airline disclosures, regulatory filings, and official civil aviation authority publications.

Monthly data sources include:

• Individual airline investor relations releases, press releases, and monthly traffic reports
• National civil aviation authorities (e.g. UK CAA, US Department of Transportation, DGCA India, ANAC Brazil, Thailand CAA, Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Administration)
• Stock exchange filings and regulatory disclosures where monthly traffic reporting is required

Annual data sources include:

• Full-year airline reports, annual reports, and investor presentations
• Regional aviation bodies (e.g. AFRAA, AACO)
• Country-level ministries of transport, civil aviation authorities, and statistical bureaus

How current is the data? What are the typical reporting lags?

Reporting lag varies by source type and region. Below are indicative examples to help set expectations:

Monthly data:

• Major individual airlines (e.g. Ryanair, easyJet, Turkish Airlines, Wizz Air) – Many publish monthly traffic within 2–3 weeks of month-end, resulting in a total lag often under 4 weeks. These are among the most current sources in the dataset.
• US DOT/BTS – Releases approximately 4–6 weeks after month-end; with our collection time, total lag is typically 6–8 weeks.
• UK CAA – Publishes roughly 6–8 weeks after the reference month; total lag is approximately 2–3 months.
• DGCA India, Thailand CAA, ANAC Brazil – Typically publish with a 2–4 month delay.
• Smaller regional civil aviation authorities – Lags of 3–6 months or more are common, and publication schedules may be irregular.

Annual data:

• Most airlines – Publish full-year traffic results within 4–8 weeks of their financial year-end, often alongside preliminary financials. We collect these shortly after publication.
• Regional bodies (AFRAA, AACO) – Typically publish 3–6 months after the calendar year-end.
• National civil aviation authorities and statistical bureaus – Consolidated annual data may not appear until 6–12 months into the following year.

Data is incorporated on a rolling basis as sources publish. In general, major international carriers have the shortest lags, while smaller carriers and certain government sources take considerably longer.

Are historical records ever revised?

Yes. When airlines or civil aviation authorities issue corrections or updates to previously published figures — for example, to correct errors, incorporate late-reported flights, or align with audited annual totals — the relevant records in both the monthly and annual files are updated accordingly.

We recommend always working from the most recently updated version of the dataset to ensure your analysis reflects the latest available figures.

If this article does not answer your question or resolve your issue, you can always submit a ticket and our Customer Support team will get back to you as soon as possible.