Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) measures the passenger traffic carried by an airline. It is calculated by multiplying the number of revenue-paying passengers by the distance they travel.
Formula: RPK = Number of Revenue-Paying Passengers × Distance Travelled (km)
Example:
Suppose an aircraft flies from Jaipur to Delhi, a distance of 500 km, carrying 150 revenue-paying passengers.
RPK = 150 × 500 = 75,000 passenger-kilometres
Ticket prices do not form part of the RPK calculation.
Is RPK Important for Passengers to Know?
Passengers do not need to calculate RPK when booking or boarding a flight. It is primarily used by airlines, investors and industry analysts to measure passenger traffic and assess airline performance.
RPK is also used alongside Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) to calculate Passenger Load Factor (PLF).
Related Terms
- Break-Even Load Factor (BELF)
- Passenger Load Factor (PLF)
- India’s Aviation Passenger Traffic Report
- Airport Terminal
- Available Seat Kilometres (ASK)
- Airport Glossary