Delta Largest U.S. Airline. American Largest Overseas

AutoInformed.com

A much slower recovery for airlines is underway compared to the automobile companies.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported that 803.5 million scheduled passengers traveled on U.S. airlines and on foreign airlines serving the United States in 2011. This is a slight 1.7% increase from 2010. The 2011 passenger total was 4.3% higher than in 2009.

U.S. airlines carried 1.3% more domestic passengers in 2011 and 1.7% more international passengers than in 2010 for the system wide increase of 1.3%. Passengers to and from the United States on foreign carriers increased 5.6% from 2010.

Delta Air Lines, because of its merger with Northwest Airlines, carried more total system passengers in 2011 than any other U.S. airline for the second consecutive year. American Airlines carried more international passengers to and from the United States in 2011 than any other U.S. or foreign carrier, followed closely by Delta.

The number of passengers increased in every month of 2011 from 2010 except in October when a 1.3% decrease in domestic passengers resulted in a system wide 0.7% decrease that was not fully offset by an increase in international passengers. Higher fuel prices led to airlines cutting back to fall/winter schedules earlier than usual. As a result, there were not as many domestic seats available in October as expected.

More total system passengers boarded planes in 2011 at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport. More international passengers boarded planes at New York John F. Kennedy than at any other U.S. airport.

Scheduled Domestic and International Airline Travel on U.S. and Foreign Airlines

Annual

2010 2011 ∆ %
Passengers (millions) 790.1 803.5 1.7
Flights (thousands) 10,021.6 9,984.4 -0.4
Revenue Passenger Miles (billions) 1,071.2 1,105.5 3.2
Available Seat-Miles (billions) 1,308.1 1,355.6 3.6
Load Factor** 81.9 81.6 -0.3
Flight Stage Length*** 825.4 847.5 2.7
Passenger Trip Length**** 1,355.7 1,375.8 1.5
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics* Includes U.S. carrier scheduled domestic and international service and foreign carrier scheduled international service to and from the United States.
** Change in load factor points
*** The average non-stop distance flown per departure in miles
**** The average distance flown per passenger in miles

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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