Skift Take
The drop in passenger load between August and September marks the transition between the high season for leisure travel and the start of an increase in business travel.
U.S. airlines carried 59.9 million international and domestic passengers in September 2014, a 3 percent increase over September 2013, according to data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
September air traffic is a slight decrease from the 69.3 million international and domestic passengers carried in August 2014, a mark of the end of the summer season.
In the first eight months of 2014, U.S. airlines carried 574.3 million domestic and international passengers, a 2.4 percent increase over the same period in 2013.
Every month, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics releases data regarding recent travel activity, including details about passenger traffic on U.S. airlines. This is the most recent data available.
Domestically, U.S. airlines carried 497.3 million passengers, up 2.3 percent from 2013. Internationally, they carried 77 million passengers, up 2.9 percent from 2013.
Systemwide load factor for August 2014 was up only 0.3 percent year-over-year to 81.9 percent, but equal to the all-time record high for September from 2011.
Scheduled Systemwide (Domestic and International) Airline Travel on U.S. Airlines
| Sept 2013 | sept 2014 | Change % | 2013 | 2014 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers (in millions) | 58.2 | 59.9 | 3 | 560.9 | 574.3 | 2.4 |
| Flights (in thousands) | 746.7 | 726.7 | -2.7 | 6,942.30 | 6,731.90 | -3 |
| Load Factor* | 81.6 | 81.9 | 0.3 | 83.5 | 83.9 | 0.4 |
The Daily Newsletter
Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Tags: bts, skiftstats, usa
Photo credit: A Southwest plane on a runway Elaine Thompson / Associated Press