Top 10 U.S. Airlines Had 3.1 Percent Fewer Flyers in 2008

The top 10 U.S. airlines boarded about 3.1 percent fewer passengers in 2008 compared with 2007, the carriers reported.

United saw the biggest drop, with boarding down by 7.7 percent. AirTran, which recorded a gain of 3.5 percent, and JetBlue, which reported an increase of 2.5 percent, were the only airlines that flew more passengers than the year before. Statistically, Southwest stayed flat.

The airlines had been warning investment analysts for months that demand was falling and would continue to do so.

That was certainly the case as the year ended, when combined traffic for the seven biggest carriers fell 5.2 percent for December. United saw the biggest decline, about 12 percent. American reported an 8.2 percent drop in traffic, while Continental recorded a 7.3 percent drop.

Delta reported a 3 percent gain, while Southwest traffic inched up about 1.1 percent for the month.

The airlines’ usual strategy for dealing with traffic declines is to cut capacity. Airlines are already ahead of the game, with the top 10 airlines cutting capacity by about 5.5 percent for the year to deal with dropping fuel prices in mid-2007.