July 2011 Airline System Traffic Up 2.0 Percent from July 2010

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Passenger Load Factor on All U.S. Scheduled Airlines (Domestic & International), August 2009-July 2011

Table Version | Excel | CSV

Friday, October 14, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported in a release of preliminary data that U.S. airlines carried 69.8 million scheduled domestic and international passengers in July 2011. This is a 2.0 percent increase from July 2010 (Table 1).  The July 2011 passenger total was also 2.5 percent above that of two years ago in July 2009 but remained 1.0 percent below the level of July 2008 (Table 2).

BTS, a part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration, also reported that U.S. airlines carried 1.8 percent more domestic passengers in July 2011 than in July 2010. The domestic load factor of 87.2 percent was a record for July. The number of international passengers on U.S. carriers in July 2011 increased 3.3 percent over July 2010. The 9.6 million international passengers on U.S. carriers in July was a record-high for any month, topping the previous high of 9.3 million in July 2010 (Tables 7, 13).

U.S. airlines carried 427.6 million total system passengers during the first seven months of 2011, up 2.3 percent from the same period in 2010 (Table 2). Domestically, they carried 372.3 million passengers, up 2.1 percent from 2010 (Table 8). Internationally, they carried 55.3 million passengers, up 3.5 percent from 2010 (Table 14). Systemwide, domestic and international totals were all the highest for January through July since 2008. See Tables 2, 8 and 14 of Air Traffic Press Releases for previous year numbers.

Additional traffic numbers can be found on the BTS website in the Airlines and Airports box. Click on a link in the column on the right.

Load Factor

Systemwide load factors were unchanged in July 2011 from July 2010. The domestic load factor of 87.2 percent was a record for July. International load factor was down 0.3 percent from July 2010. From January through July, systemwide capacity, measured by available seat-miles, was up 3.7 percent, domestic was up 2.3 percent and international was up 6.7 percent compared to the first seven months of 2010 (Tables 1, 7, 13).

Top Airlines in July

In July, Delta Air Lines carried more total system and international passengers than any other U.S. airline (Tables 4, 16) and Southwest Airlines carried the most domestic passengers (Table 10).

During the first seven months of 2011, Delta carried more total system and international passengers while Southwest carried more domestic passengers than any other U.S. airline (Tables 3, 9, 15).

Top Airports in July

In July, more total system and domestic passengers boarded planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport (Tables 6 and 12); and more international passengers boarded U.S. carriers at Miami than at any other U.S. airport (Table 18).

During the first seven months of 2011, more total system and domestic passengers boarded planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson than at any other U.S. airport (Tables 5 and 11); and more international passengers boarded U.S. carriers at Miami than at any other U.S. airport (Table 17).

For other comparisons from the first seven months of 2010 to the first seven months of 2011 and from July 2010 to July 2011, see the following tables:

System (Domestic + International) (Tables 1-6)

Table 1 (July and January through July):
Passengers
Flights
Revenue passenger-miles (RPMs)
Available seat-miles (ASMs)
Passenger load factor
Flight stage length
Passenger trip length

Table 2
System scheduled enplanements on U.S. airlines by month since January 2009

Airline Rankings

Table 3
January through July: Top 10 airlines by scheduled passenger enplanements

Table 4
July: Top 10 airlines by scheduled passenger enplanements

Airport Rankings

Table 5
January through July: Top 10 airports by scheduled passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines

Table 6
July: Top 10 airports by scheduled passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines

Scheduled Domestic Air Travel (Tables 7-12)

Table 7 (July and January through July):
Domestic passengers
Domestic flights
Domestic revenue passenger-miles (RPMs)
Domestic available seat-miles (ASMs)
Domestic passenger load factor
Domestic flight stage length
Domestic passenger trip length

Table 8
Domestic scheduled enplanements on U.S. airlines by month since January 2009

Airline Rankings

Table 9
January through July: Top 10 domestic airlines by scheduled passenger enplanements

Table 10
July: Top 10 domestic airlines by scheduled passenger enplanements

Airport Rankings

Table 11
January through July: Top 10 domestic airports by scheduled passenger enplanements

Table 12
July: Top 10 domestic airports by scheduled passenger enplanements

Scheduled International Air Travel on U.S. Airlines (Tables 13-18)

Table 13 (July and January through July):
International passengers
International flights
International revenue passenger-miles on U.S. airlines (RPMs)
International available seat-miles on U.S. airlines (ASMs)
International passenger load factor on U.S. airlines
International flight stage length on U.S. airlines
International passenger trip length on U.S. airlines

Table 14
International scheduled enplanements on U.S. airlines by month since January 2009

Airline Rankings

Table 15
January through July: Top 10 U.S. airlines by scheduled international passenger enplanements

Table 16
July: Top 10 U.S. airlines by scheduled international passenger enplanements

Airport Rankings

Table 17
January through July: Top 10 airports by scheduled international passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines

Table 18
July: Top 10 airports by scheduled international passenger enplanements on U.S. airlines

Reporting Notes

Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial U.S. air carriers detailing operations, passenger traffic and freight traffic. This release includes data received by BTS from 83 carriers as of Oct. 5 for U.S. carrier scheduled civilian operations. Go to http://www.transtats.bts.gov/releaseinfo.asp for the complete list of reporting and non-reporting carriers. U.S. carriers ' foreign point-to-point flights are included in system and international totals. To create a customized table for passengers, flights, RPMs, ASMs and other data, including non-scheduled service, go to http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information/air_carrier_traffic_statistics/.

Traffic numbers are available on the BTS website at TranStats, the Intermodal Transportation Database, at http://transtats.bts.gov. Click on "Aviation." For system passengers, RPMs and ASMs by carrier through July, click on "Air Carrier Summary Data (Form 41 and 298C Summary Data)," and then click on "Schedule T-1." Use crosstabs to find scheduled service.

For domestic numbers through July and international numbers through April by origin as well as by carrier, after clicking on "Aviation," click on "Air Carrier Statistics (Form 41 Traffic)." Click on "T-100 Market" for system passenger numbers, "T-100 Domestic Market" for domestic or "T-100 International Market" for international. For flights, stage length and trip length, use the appropriate T-100 Segment database. Use crosstabs to find scheduled service.

TranStats system and international totals do not include U.S. carriers' foreign point-to-point flights. For July, U.S. carriers reported 215,992 foreign point-to-point passengers. For January through July, U.S. carriers reported 1,440,396 foreign point-to-point passengers.

Data are subject to revision. BTS has scheduled Nov. 10 for the release of August traffic data.

Table 1: Scheduled System (Domestic and International) Airline Travel on U.S. Airlines

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market and Segment

*Change in load factor points

**The average non-stop distance flown per departure in miles

*** The average distance flown per passenger in miles

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 2: Total System (Domestic and International) Scheduled Enplanements on U.S. Airlines

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 3: Top 10 U.S. Airlines, ranked by January-July 2011 System* Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market

* System equals domestic plus international

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 4: Top 10 U.S. Airlines, ranked by July 2011 System* Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market

* System equals domestic plus international

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 5: Top 10 U.S. Airports, ranked by January-July 2011 System* Scheduled Enplanements on U.S. Airlines**

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market

* System equals domestic plus international

** Numbers do not include international enplanements on foreign carriers

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 6: Top 10 U.S. Airports ranked by July 2011 System* Scheduled Enplanements on U.S. Airlines**

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market

* System equals domestic plus international

** Numbers do not include international enplanements on foreign carriers

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 7: Domestic Scheduled Airline Travel on U.S. Airlines

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market and Segment

* Change in load factor points

**The average non-stop distance flown per departure in miles

*** The average distance flown per passenger in miles

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 8: Domestic Scheduled Enplanements on U.S. Airlines

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 9: Top 10 U.S. Airlines, ranked by January-July 2011 Domestic Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 10: Top 10 U.S. Airlines, ranked by July 2011 Domestic Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 11: Top 10 U.S. Airports, ranked by January-July 2011 Domestic Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 12: Top 10 U.S. Airports, ranked by July 2011 Domestic Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Domestic Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 13: International Scheduled Airline Travel on U.S. Airlines

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market and Segment

*Change in load factor points

**The average non-stop distance flown per departure in miles

*** The average distance flown per passenger in miles

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 14: International Scheduled Enplanements on U.S. Airlines

Passenger numbers in millions (000,000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 15: Top 10 U.S. Airlines, ranked by January-July 2011 International Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in thousands (000)

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Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 16: Top 10 U.S. Airlines, ranked by July 2011 International Scheduled Enplanements

Passenger numbers in thousands (000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 17: Top 10 U.S. Airports, ranked by January-July 2011 International Scheduled Enplanements on U.S. Airlines*

Passenger numbers in thousands (000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market

* Numbers do not include international enplanements on foreign carriers

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases

Table 18: Top 10 U.S. Airports, ranked by July 2011 International Scheduled Enplanements on U.S. Airlines*

Passenger numbers in thousands (000)

Excel | CSV

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market

* Numbers do not include international enplanements on foreign carriers

Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

Note: For previous rankings see BTS Air Traffic Press Releases