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Oct. 21 — Domestic and international airline passenger traffic on US carriers through July totaled 448.5 million people, a 0.8 percent decline from the same months a year ago, the US Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics says.
The agency reported US airlines carried 1.5 percent fewer domestic passengers and 4.5 percent more international passengers during the first seven months of 2008 than during the same period in 2007.
In July, the most recent data month, US airlines carried 70.3 million domestic and international passengers, 2.9 percent less than in July 2007, the fifth consecutive monthly decline from the same month of the previous year, the BTS said. Domestic passenger traffic declined 3.5 percent in July from a year earlier and international passengers increased 1.3 percent.
Among US airlines, Southwest Airlines carried 61.6 million passengers on its system in the first seven months of 2008, the most of any airline.
Southwest carried 9.4 million passengers on its system in July, the most of any airline.
Among airports, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was the busiest U.S. airport in the first seven months of 2008, with 25.3 million domestic
and international passenger boardings. In July, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson was the busiest US airport with 4.1 million domestic and international passenger boardings on US carriers.
