DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
U.S. airlines carried 12% fewer passengers in February than they
did a year earlier, posting the biggest declines since soon after
the 2001 terrorist attacks, on a 9.9% drop in flights flown,
according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Airlines have been cutting back capacity to try to meet falling
demand, but the February numbers suggest demand for flights is
dropping even faster than available seats as consumers cut back on
travel amid the recession. February's decline marks the 12th
straight monthly drop in passengers.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics said Thursday airlines
had 12% fewer domestic passengers in February and 11% fewer
international passengers, the biggest drops since December 2001 and
January 2002, respectively. Average load factor, or the amount of
seats filled, was 73.3%, down 1.7 percentage points.
Southwest Airlines Inc. (LUV) again carried the most domestic
passengers, with 7.1 million, and the most total passengers, while
AMR Corp.'s (AMR) American Airlines remained No. 1 for
international passengers.
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International airport again led in
total passengers, with 2.9 million, including 2.7 million domestic
ones. Miami International remained the busiest airport for
international passengers.
-By Kerry E. Grace, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5089;
kerry.grace@dowjones.com