Seat kilometers
The number of (offered) seat kilometers is a key figure in commercial passenger transport . It reflects the capabilities of a transport company .
This value is abbreviated to ASK. Available seat kilometers , available seat kilometers.
To determine the ASK the number of available is places with on a road trip or a flight covered kilometers multiplied , this distance between two locations theoretically determines detours will be ignored. In global traffic , the orthodrome is used to determine this distance, i.e. the shortest connection between two points on the earth's surface . Because this naturally gives a very large number over a year , it is given in millions or billions .
This value can be positively influenced not only by increasing the size of the fleet, but also with narrower seating, an increase in transport speed or a reduction in idle times. However, each of these forms of optimization can also have disadvantages, be it higher transport costs , lower passenger satisfaction or the reduction in the possibility of compensating for delays .
The ASK is used in practice to monitor the development of a transport company. The annual change shows the direction in which a company's performance is pointing. This value is also used to compare different companies.