American Airlines, Other Carriers Report Strong June Traffic

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July 07--American Airlines Inc. said Tuesday its passenger traffic in June climbed 3.2 percent, outstripping a 1.3 percent increase in flying capacity.

Its load factor, or percentage of seats filled, increased 1.6 percentage points to 86.8 percent. That trails only 2007's record loads for June of 87.1 percent.

While domestic traffic increased 1.2 percent, American reported its biggest traffic increases on its international routes: up 15.4 percent across the Pacific, 5.9 percent to Latin America and 5.1 percent across the Atlantic.

US Airways Inc. reported that its load factor of 86.9 percent set a June record, beating 2009's 86.8 percent. Its traffic climbed 2.9 percent on a 2.8 percent increase in capacity.

US Airways estimated that its passenger revenues per available seat mile soared 22 percent compared to a weak June 2009. Including all sources of revenues, its unit revenues were up about 23 percent, it said.

Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's largest airline, said its June traffic rose 5.4 percent while it increased its capacity 2.5 percent. It filled 88.4 percent of its seats, up 2.4 points from June 2009.

AirTran Airways Inc. reported a 7.4 percent climb in traffic, compared to a 4 percent increase in capacity. Its load factor climbed 2.8 points to a record 86.4 percent, it said.

American Eagle, American's regional partner, saw a 5.3 percent increase in passenger traffic, but it had increased its capacity by 6.5 percent. As a result, its loads declined slightly, off 0.9 points to 77 percent.