load factor

noun

: the percentage of available seats paid for and occupied in an aircraft

Examples of load factor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Walsh said yield growth throughout the year, as well as higher load factors, are helping to recoup the higher fuel costs. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 Flying a larger aircraft into markets with limited demand results in low passenger load factors, which translates into losses. Marisa Garcia, Forbes.com, 13 May 2026 As a result, America’s utilities operate at an average load factor — the ratio of demand to peak capacity — of just 53%, according to a recent analysis from Duke University. Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026 Bookings for the July-to-September fourth quarter were 30% sold, easyJet's Jarvis said, while load factors, the portion of available seats filled by paying customers, were uncertain. Shashwat Awasthi, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for load factor

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of load factor was in 1943

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Load factor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/load%20factor. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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