What Is Load Factor? Definition & Meaning in Aviation
Load factor is the percentage of an airline’s seats that are filled with paying passengers.
In plain language
It is one measure of how efficiently an airline uses its aircraft. High load factors mean full flights and fewer empty seats.
Example
If an aircraft has 180 seats and 153 are occupied, the load factor is 85%.
Why it matters
Load factor explains why fares and flight cancellations are linked: airlines cancel or merge flights when too few seats are filled, and raise prices when almost all are.