DOT Reports 1.9 Percent Monthly Drop in U.S. Air Traffic

U.S. airlines carried 48.9 million scheduled domestic and international passengers in February, 1.9 percent fewer than they did in February 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported in a release of preliminary data. The February 2010 passenger total was 14.4 percent below that of two years ago in February 2008.

BTS, a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, in a release of preliminary data, reported that U.S. airlines carried 2.4 percent fewer domestic passengers in February 2010 than in February 2009. The domestic passenger number was the lowest February total since 2003.

The number of international passengers on U.S. carriers increased 1.7 percent over February 2009. The February 2010 load factors of 76.6 percent systemwide -- 77.3 percent domestic and 74.4 percent international -- were the highest recorded for the month of February.

For the first two months of 2010, the number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines was virtually unchanged from the same period in 2009 at 101.7 million. The number of passengers declined 11.4 percent from the first two months of 2008 to the first two months of 2009.

In February, Delta Air Lines carried more total system and international passengers than any other U.S. airline. Southwest Airlines carried the most domestic passengers. During the first two months of 2010, Delta carried more total system passengers than any other U.S. airline.

Southwest carried the most domestic passengers and American carried the most international passengers in the first two months. In February, more total system and domestic passengers boarded planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport, and more international passengers boarded U.S. carriers at Miami International than at any other U.S. airport.