U.S. Airlines See Slight Uptick in First Quarter Passengers

The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines during the first three months of 2008 grew by 1.5 percent from the same period in 2007, reaching 181.1 million, 2.7 million more than a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

BTS reported that in March, the most recent data month, U.S. airlines carried 66.9 million scheduled domestic and international passengers, 0.4 percent less than in March 2007, the first decline from the same month of the previous year since September 2006. The number of domestic passengers decreased 1.4 percent in March from a year earlier and international passengers increased 7.0 percent.

The combined domestic and international system load factor of 77.2 percent from January through March was a record for the three-month period. Load factor measures the use of the airlines’ passenger capacity.

U.S. airlines carried 0.8 percent more domestic passengers and 6.9 percent more international passengers during the first three months of 2008 than during the same period in 2007.

Southwest Airlines carried more total system and more domestic passengers for the first three months than any other U.S. airline. American Airlines carried more international passengers than any U.S. carrier.

More total system and domestic passengers boarded planes in the first three months 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.