Air Traffic Up in June

U.S. airlines carried 66.1 million domestic and international passengers in June 2011, a 1.6 percent increase from June 2010, says the transportation Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The June 2011 passenger total was also 3.9 percent above that of two years ago in June 2009 -- but remained 2.8 percent below the level of June 2008 (Table 2).

Load factors -- the number of seats full -- declined, however, as airlines increased capacity.

U.S. airlines carried 357.8 million total system passengers during the first six months of 2011, up 2.3 percent from the same period in 2010 and the highest January-June total since 2008. Domestically, they carried 312.0 million passengers, up 2.2 percent from 2010 and the highest January-June total since 2008. Internationally, they carried 45.7 million passengers, up 3.5 percent from 2010 and also the highest January-June total since 2008.

Systemwide, domestic and international load factors declined in June 2011 from June 2010 as airlines added capacity. Year-to-year, systemwide capacity was up 2.8 percent, domestic was up 2.7 percent and international was up 3.0 percent. The declines in June followed record system and domestic load factors in May.

In June, Delta Air Lines carried more total system and international passengers than any other U.S. airline; Southwest Airlines carried the most domestic passengers (Table 10). During the first six months of 2011, American carried the most international passengers.

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