Drop In Revenue Miles Outpaced Capacity Cuts Slightly

US airlines carried 51.5 million scheduled domestic and international passengers in January 2009, 10.9 percent less than they did in January 2008, the US Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Thursday. Based on to preliminary data, BTS reported the decline was the 11th consecutive monthly decrease in system passengers from the same month of the previous year.

Reporting US airlines carried 11.5 percent fewer domestic passengers and 7.2 percent fewer international passengers in January 2009 than in January 2008. These passengers traveled on planes with average load factors of 73.0 percent. 

As has become the norm, Southwest Airlines carried more total system and domestic passengers in January 2009 than any other airline; and American Airlines carried more international passengers.

More total system and domestic passengers boarded planes in January 2009 at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other US airport, while more international passengers boarded US carriers at Miami International than at any other US airport -- again in line with recent reports.

US carriers operated 769,500 domestic and international flights in January 2009, 11.2 percent fewer than in January 2008. Domestic flights were down 11.6 percent from January of the previous year while international flights fell 7.5 percent.

Systemwide, revenue passenger miles (RPMs), a measure of the number of passengers and the distance flown, were down 9.9 percent in January 2009. Available seat-miles (ASMs), a measure of airline capacity using the number of seats and the distance flown, were down 8.8 percent in January 2009... meaning drops in RPMs slightly outpaced capacity cuts implemented by those airlines.

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