Skift Take
Although passenger volume builds throughout the summer, the proportion of tourists split between domestic and international carriers remains relatively the same throughout the year.
More than 135 million travelers flew into and out of the United States through the first eight months of 2014, a seven percent increase over the same period last year, according to data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office.
U.S. citizen travel accounted for 61.2 million passengers, 45 percent of all U.S. air traffic, and an increase of eight percent over last year. Non-U.S. citizen traffic accounted for 74.1 million air travelers, 55 percent of all traffic, and a seven percent increase over last year.
Every month, the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries releases data regarding recent travel activity, including details about international air passenger traffic to and from the United States. This is the most recent month for which this information is available.
For statistics on international air traffic in July 2014, see here.
Similar to July, U.S. carriers account for slightly more market share, 53 percent, than foreign carriers, 47 percent. Again, passenger growth on foreign carriers (+10 percent) exceeded growth seen on U.S. airlines (+5 percent).
The largest markets for air traffic to and from the U.S. are Europe and Asia, which combined account for 43 percent of all international traffic.
The markets that experienced the largest growth in the first eight months of 2014 versus 2013 were the Middle East and Central America.
| Overseas Regions | Passengers (mlns) | % of all International | % Change 2014 / 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 38.6 | 28% | 5.2% |
| Asia | 20 | 15% | 6% |
| Caribbean | 15 | 11% | 8.1% |
| South America | 10 | 7% | 3.8% |
| Central America | 7.3 | 5% | 11.1% |
| Middle East | 5.3 | 4% | 15.8% |
| Oceania | 2.9 | 2% | 1.5% |
| Africa | 0.9 | 1% | 0.4% |
A little more than a quarter, or 26 percent, of international traffic is between the U.S. and Mexico or Canada.
Air traffic between the U.S. and Canada performed as follows:
| Canada Region | Passengers (mlns) | % Chg y-o-y | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Citizens | 5.2 | 9% | 27.7% |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 13.6 | 6% | 72.3% |
Air traffic between the U.S. and Mexico performed as follows:
| Mexican Region | Passengers (mlns) | % Chg y-o-y | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Citizens | 10.5 | 14% | 64.2% |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 5.9 | 9% | 35.8% |
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Tags: air traffic, skiftstats, usa
Photo credit: Delta Air Lines jet takes off from Los Angeles International Airport. Aero Icarus / Flickr