BTS Releases December Passenger Airline Employment Data;

December 2012 Employment Down 2.6 Percent from December 2011

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 379,571 workers in December 2012, 2.6 percent fewer than in December 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported this week. Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines. This was the fourth consecutive month that full-time equivalent (FTE) employment for U.S. scheduled passenger carriers has been lower than the same month of the previous year. This follows 21 months of increases over the same month of the previous year that began in December 2010 and ended in August 2012 (Table 2).

BTS, a part of the Department's Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the December 2012 FTE total for scheduled passenger carriers was 10,157 fewer than in December 2011 and is the lowest monthly total for any month since December 2010 (Table 3). Historical employment data can be found on the BTS web site.

There were 0.5 percent fewer FTEs in December 2012 than in November 2012. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal factors, such as the number of flights and passengers.

The five network airlines that collectively employ two-thirds of the scheduled passenger airline FTEs reported 3.3 percent fewer FTEs in December 2012, the fifth consecutive decline for the group. Delta Air Lines, eliminating positions following its merger with Northwest Airlines, reduced FTEs by 4.5 percent from December 2011. American Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in November 2011, reduced FTEs by 9.9 percent. United Airlines reported a post-merger total of 82,383 FTEs in December 2012, 1,299 or 1.6 percent more FTEs than the 81,084 United and Continental Airlines reported separately in December 2011. US Airways reported 0.5 percent fewer FTEs while Alaska Airlines increased FTEs by 3.3 percent from December 2011 (Table 9). Network airlines operate a significant portion of flights using at least one hub where connections are made for flights to down-line destinations or spoke cities.

Among the six low-cost carriers, Allegiant Airlines, Virgin America Airlines, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways reported an increase in FTEs. Frontier Airlines was the only low-cost carrier reporting fewer FTEs. Southwest Airlines reported 45,861 FTEs in December 2012 in a joint report following its merger with AirTran Airways. The combined total was 198 or 0.4 percent more than the 45,663 FTEs the two airlines reported separately in December 2011 (Table 12). Low-cost airlines operate under a low-cost business model, with infrastructure and aircraft operating costs below the overall industry average.

Among the 14 regional carriers, seven carriers reported reduced employment levels in December compared to last year: ExpressJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Air Wisconsin and Executive Airlines. The total number of FTEs reported by Pinnacle – which recently merged with Mesaba Airlines – was 16.9 percent fewer than the total number of FTEs reported individually by the two airlines prior to the merger (Table 15). Regional carriers typically provide service from small cities, using primarily regional jets to support the network carriers' hub and spoke systems.

Carrier Groups: The five network airlines employed 66.9 percent of the total number of FTEs employed by all scheduled passenger airlines in December, the six low-cost carriers employed 18.4 percent and the 14 regional carriers employed 13.3 percent (Table 4). The three airlines with the most FTEs in December – United, Delta and American – employed 56.5 percent of the total passenger airline FTEs (Table 6).

Top employers by group: The newly-merged United employed the most FTEs (82,383) in December among the network airlines, Southwest employed the most FTEs (45,861) among low-cost airlines, and American Eagle Airlines employed the most FTEs (10,754) among regional airlines. Four of the top five employers in the industry are network airlines (Table 6).

Network Airlines

Recent Trend: The network airlines employed 8,553 fewer FTEs in December 2012 than in December 2011. Only two of the five network carriers increased FTEs from December 2011 to December 2012 (Tables 8, 9).

Five-Year Trend: The network airlines employed 10,680 fewer FTEs in December 2012 than in December 2008, a 4.0 percent decrease. American reported the biggest percentage decline in FTE employment from 2008 to 2012, 15.0 percent, followed by US Airways, down 3.4 percent. December 2008 and December 2012 numbers for United and Delta are not directly comparable because of the intervening mergers. United reported 2.6 percent more FTEs in December 2012 than United and Continental reported separately in December 2008; Delta reported 1.2 percent fewer FTEs in December 2012 than Delta and Northwest reported separately in December 2008 (Tables 8, 9).

Low-Cost Airlines

Recent Trend: The six low-cost airlines' FTEs were up 1.3 percent in December 2012 from December 2011. All low-cost airlines except Frontier reported year-to-year increases (Table 12).

Five-Year Trend: The six low-cost carriers reporting employment data in both 2008 and 2012 employed 11.4 percent more FTEs in December 2012 than in December 2008. Virgin America reported the largest percentage increase (89.0 percent), while Frontier reported a decline. December 2012 numbers for Southwest are not directly comparable to 2008 because of the intervening merger. Southwest reported 6.7 percent more FTEs in December 2012 than Southwest and AirTran reported separately in December 2008 (Table 12).

Regional Airlines

Recent Trend: Regional airlines reported a 5.4 percent decrease in FTE employment in December 2012 compared to December 2011. GoJet Airlines and Shuttle America report the largest percentage increases in FTEs from December 2011 to December 2012 among airlines not involved in mergers. Executive and Pinnacle reported the largest percentage decreases. Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines reported separately in December 2011, as did Pinnacle and Mesaba, while their reports were combined in December 2012 as a result of mergers (Table 15).

Five-Year Trend: The 14 regional carriers reporting employment data in both December 2008 and December 2012 employed 12.9 percent fewer FTEs in 2012 than in 2008. For airlines not involved in mergers, Mesa reported the largest percentage decline followed by Executive. The Pinnacle/Mesaba combination reported 35.9 percent fewer FTE's in December 2012 than the two airlines reported separately in November 2008. GoJet reported the biggest four-year percentage gain. Effective with January 2011 reporting, Republic Airline's employment numbers include FTEs from Midwest Airlines. Midwest employment data were formerly included in the "Other Airlines" category (Table 15).

Airlines that operate at least one aircraft with the capacity to carry combined passengers, cargo and fuel of 18,000 pounds – the payload factor – must report monthly employment statistics.

The "Other Carrier" category generally reflects those airlines that operate within specific niche markets such as Hawaiian Airlines serving the Hawaiian Islands.

Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial air carriers as of Feb. 14. Additional airline employment data and previous press releases can be found on the BTS website. BTS has scheduled release of January passenger airline employment data for March 28.

Table 1: Change from Previous Year in Scheduled Passenger Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Airline Group

Most recent 13 months - percent change compared to same month the previous year

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

** Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers. Other Carriers generally operate within specific niche markets. They are: Hawaiian Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: See Table 2 for all passenger airlines, Table 7 for Network, Table 10 for Low-Cost and Table 13 for Regional.

Table 2: Change from Previous Year in Scheduled Passenger Airline* Full-time Equivalent Employees**

Percent change compared to same month of the previous year

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.

** Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 3: Scheduled Passenger Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Month

FTE numbers in thousands (000's)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.

** Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 4: Airline Group Full-time Equivalent Employees*, December 2008-2012

FTE numbers in thousands (000's)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

** Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.

Table 5: Year-to-Year Change in Airline Group Full-time Equivalent Employees*, December 2008-2012

Percent change in FTEs from the same month of the previous year

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

** Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.

Table 6: Top 10 Airlines, December 2012

Ranked by Number of Full-Time Equivalent Employees*

FTE numbers in thousands (000's)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

** See Table 9 for Network, Table 12 for Low-Cost and Table 15 for Regional

Table 7: Network Airline Year-to-Year Change in Full-time Equivalent Employees* from the Previous Year**

Percent change compared to same month of the previous year

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

Table 8: Network Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Month**

FTE numbers in thousands (000's)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 9: Network Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees*, December 2008-2012

(FTEs for December of each year. Ranked by December 2012 FTEs)

FTE numbers in thousands (000's)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee

** Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines merged and began reporting combined numbers in January 2010.

*** United Airlines and Continental Airlines merged and began reporting combined numbers in January 2012. Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 10: Low-Cost Airline Year-to-Year Change in Full-time Equivalent Employees* from the Previous Year

Percent change compared to same month of the previous year

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 11: Low-Cost Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Month**

FTE numbers in thousands (000's)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Note: Percent changes and averages based on numbers prior to rounding.

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

** ATA Airlines ceased operations on April 3, 2008 and stopped reporting employment data effective in March.

***SkyBus stopped reporting employment data effective in April 2008 resulting from its bankruptcy filing.

Table 12: Low-Cost Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees,* December 2008-2012**

(FTEs for December of each year. Ranked by December 2012 FTEs)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

** Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways merged and began reporting combined numbers in April 2012.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 13: Regional Airline Year-to-Year Change in Full-time Equivalent Employees* from the Previous Year

Percent change compared to same month of the previous year

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 14: Regional Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Month

FTE numbers in thousands (000's)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 15: Regional Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees*, December 2008- 2012

(FTEs for December of each year. Ranked by December 2012 FTEs)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

** ExpressJet Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines began reporting combined numbers in January 2012.

*** Pinnacle Airlines and Mesaba Airlines began reporting combined numbers in January 2012.

**** Effective with November 2009 reporting, Republic Airlines' employment numbers include FTE's from Midwest Airlines. Midwest employment data were formerly included in the "Other Airlines" category.

# Effective July 2012 Chautauqua Airlines began reporting employment data.

## Effective the end of September 2012, Colgan Airlines ceased operations.

### Effective the end of October 2012, Comair ceased operations.

#### Effective the end of March 2011, Lynx Airlines ceased operations.

N/A: Carriers did not meet the standard for filing, was no longer operating, merged with another operating carrier or failed to file. See previous notes.

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.