The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines in December 2009 decreased by 0.6 percent from December 2008, decreasing by 0.4 million to 57.0 million, the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported.The December 2009 passenger total was 6.2 percent below that of December 2007.
BTS, a part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration, in a release of preliminary data, reported that U.S. airlines carried 0.7 percent fewer domestic passengers in December 2009 than in December 2008. The number of international passengers on U.S. carriers increased 0.3 percent.The system, domestic and international load factors in December 2009 were all the highest ever for the month of December.
For the full year 2009, the number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines declined by 5.3 percent from 2008, dropping to 703.9 million, 39.4 million fewer than a year earlier, and the lowest annual total since 2004. For historic numbers, see Traffic on the BTS website. The full-year system load factor of 80.4 percent and the domestic load factor of 81.1 were annual record highs.
For the year, U.S. airlines carried 5.2 percent fewer domestic passengers and 6.3 percent fewer international passengers in 2009 than in 2008.
BTS Releases December 2009 Airline Traffic Data; 