Skift Take
International air traffic remains relatively similar when compared month-to-month; however, slight increases lead to year-end records that spur tourism development.
More than 180 million travelers flew into and out of the United States through the first 11 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 79.7 million passengers, 44 percent of all U.S. air traffic, and an increase of seven percent over last year. Non-U.S. citizen traffic accounted for 101.2 million air travelers, 56 percent of all traffic, and a six 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 October 2014, see here.
Similar to previous months, U.S. carriers account for slightly more market share, 52 percent, than foreign carriers, 48 percent.
However, passenger growth on foreign carriers (+10 percent) exceeded growth seen on U.S. airlines (+4 percent).
The largest markets for air traffic to and from the U.S. are Europe and Asia, which combined account for 44 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 (+17 percent) and Central America (+10 percent).
The following chart outlines the performance of overseas regions:
| Overseas Regions | Passengers (mlns) | % of all International | % Change 2014 / 2013 YTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 53.057 | 29% | 5.00% |
| Asia | 26.979 | 15% | 5.30% |
| Caribbean | 19.016 | 10% | 8.20% |
| South America | 13.541 | 7% | 2.50% |
| Central America | 9.411 | 5% | 10.20% |
| Middle East | 7.27 | 4% | 17.00% |
| Oceania | 4.015 | 2% | 1.60% |
| Africa | 1.261 | 1% | 0.30% |
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 | 7.05 | 9% | 28% |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 18.17 | 7% | 72% |
| U.S. Flag Carriers | 11.37 | 3% | 45.1% |
| Foreign Flag Carriers | 13.851 | 11% | 54.9% |
Air traffic between the U.S. and Mexico performed as follows:
| Mexican Region | Passengers (mlns) | % Chg y-o-y | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Citizens | 13.072 | 12% | 62% |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 8.002 | 9% | 38% |
| U.S. Flag Carriers | 15.88 | 8% | 75.4% |
| Foreign Flag Carriers | 5.194 | 19% | 24.6% |
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Tags: air traffic, ntto, skiftstats
Photo credit: Passengers take a photo at Hamad International Airport. Skift