Slight Uptick In Number Of Persons Employed By Domestic Airlines 

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 0.4 percent more workers in January 2011 than they did in January 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported Tuesday. This is the second consecutive increase in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year. FTE calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the January FTE total of 380,949 for the scheduled passenger carriers was 1,561 more than that of January 2010 and the highest employment number since August 2009. This second consecutive monthly increase in FTE levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year follows declines that began in mid-2008. Historic employment data can be found on the BTS web site. 

Four network airlines - American Airlines, US Airways, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines - decreased employment from January 2010 to January 2011.  Delta Air Lines reported 2.7 percent more FTEs in January 2011 than in January 2010. Continental Airlines, which now includes employees that formerly worked for Continental Micronesia, reported a 1.0 percent increase. Network airlines operate a significant portion of their flights using at least one hub where connections are made for flights to down-line destinations or spoke cities. 

All the low-cost carriers reported more FTEs in January 2011 than in January 2010 except for Frontier Airlines, which reported a 4.2 percent decrease. They are Virgin America Airlines; Spirit Airlines; Allegiant Air; JetBlue Airways; AirTran Airways; and Southwest Airlines. 

Regional carriers Lynx Airlines, Republic Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesaba Airlines, Comair, and Compass Airlines reported reduced employment levels compared to last year.

Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines.

FMI: www.dot.gov