Hawaiian Airlines’ passenger traffic rose 7 percent in May even as the rapidly expanding carrier filled a lower percentage of its seats.

The state’s largest airline said today it transported 836,600 people compared with 782,093 in May 2012. Its load factor, or the percentage of seats filled, fell 2.9 percentage points to 80.3 percent from 83.2 percent. 

The lower load factor was due to increased air seats from the company’s expansion. Available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, jumped 22 percent to 1.4 million from 1.2 million.

Revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, increased 17.7 percent to 1.1 million from 973,338.

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