US Airline Traffic Fell 10.9% In Jan Vs. Jan '08
April 16 2009 - 11:16AM
Dow Jones News
The number of domestic and international passengers on U.S.
airlines in January was down nearly 11% from January 2008, falling
to 51.5 million, the Department of Transportation's Bureau of
Transportation Statistics announced Thursday.
January marked the 11th consecutive month with a decrease in
passengers on U.S. airlines. According to the preliminary data,
U.S. airlines carried 10.9% fewer passengers than in January 2008,
with 11.5% fewer domestic passengers and 7.2% fewer international
passengers compared to year-ago levels.
The first 2009 results show no break from a dismal 2008, when
U.S. airlines posted the first year-over-year decline in passengers
since 2002.
Domestic and international passenger levels continued to slide
in January. U.S. airlines carried 44.5 million domestic passengers
in January, down 11.5% from 50.3 million in January 2008, on
702,200 flights, down 11.6% from January 2008.
Domestic revenue passenger miles, a measure of the number of
passengers and the distance flown, fell 11.6% in January. Domestic
available seat-miles, a measure of airline capacity based on the
number of seats and distance flown, was down 11.5%. Domestic
passenger load factor, which shows passenger miles as a proportion
of available seat-miles, was 72.8%, down 0.2 point from year-ago
levels. Domestic flight stage length, the average non-stop distance
flown per departure, was down 1.3% in January 2009, and domestic
passenger trip length, the average distance flown per passenger,
was down 0.1%.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) carried seven million domestic
passengers in January 2009, the most of any airline, and Atlanta
Hartsfield-Jackson International was the busiest domestic airport,
with 2.8 million domestic passengers boarding flights there in
January.
U.S. airlines carried 6.9 million international passengers in
January 2009, down 7.2% from year-ago levels. International revenue
passenger miles were down 6.2% and international available
seat-miles fell 2.1%. International passenger load factor was down
3.3 points to 73.3%. International flight stage length rose 4.4%
and international passenger trip length was up 1.1%.
American Airlines carried 1.6 million international passengers
in January 2009, the most of any U.S. airline, and Miami
International was the busiest U.S. airport for international travel
on U.S. carriers in January 2009, with 430,100 international
passenger boardings.
January's results were compiled from monthly reports filed by 82
commercial U.S. air carriers with the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics. Traffic data for February will be issued on May 14.
-By Judith Burns, Dow Jones Newswires, 202-862-6692;
Judith.Burns@dowjones.com