BTS Releases April Passenger Airline Employment Data

BTS 32-11

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

BTS Releases April Passenger Airline Employment Data;

April 2011 Employment Rose 2.0 Percent from April 2010

For data tables, see Passenger Airline Employment http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track'type=clickandenid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEzOTIxMDUmbWVzc2FnZWlkPVBSRC1CVUwtMTM5MjEwNSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY2NDYwNzgmZW1haWxpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=andandand100andandandhttp://www.bts.gov/pressreleases/2011/bts03211/html/bts03211.html

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 2.0 percent more workers in April 2011 than they did in April 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. This is the fifth consecutive increase in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year and the largest year-to-year increase since February 2008 (Tables 1, 2). 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 April FTE total of 383,698 for the scheduled passenger carriers was 7,494 more than that of April 2010 and the highest employment number since August 2009 (Table 3). This fifth 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 (Table 2). Historic employment data http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track'type=clickandenid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEzOTIxMDUmbWVzc2FnZWlkPVBSRC1CVUwtMTM5MjEwNSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY2NDYwNzgmZW1haWxpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=andandand101andandandhttp://www.bts.gov/airlineemployment/src/index.xml can be found on the BTS web site.

Two network airlines, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, decreased employment from April 2010 to April 2011. Delta Air Lines reported 4.5 percent more FTEs in April 2011 than in April 2010. Continental Airlines, which now includes employees that formerly worked for Continental Micronesia, reported a 2.3 percent increase (Table 9). Network airlines operate a significant portion of 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 April 2011 than in April 2010 except for Allegiant Air, which reported a 0.6 percent decrease. The low-cost carriers with more reported FTEs are Virgin America Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, AirTran Airways and Southwest Airlines (Table 12).

Regional carriers ExpressJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesaba Airlines, Comair, and Compass Airlines reported reduced employment levels compared to last year (Table 15).

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

Carrier Groups: The six network airlines employed 67.9 percent of the scheduled passenger airline total in April, the seven low-cost carriers employed 17.2 percent and the 18 regional carriers employed 13.7 percent (Table 4).

Top employers by group: Delta employed the most FTEs in April among the network airlines, Southwest employed the most FTEs among low-cost airlines, and American Eagle Airlines employed the most FTEs among regional airlines. Six of the top 10 employers in the industry are network airlines (Table 6).

Network Airlines

Recent Trend: The network airlines employed 4,650 more FTEs in April 2011 than in April 2010. All network carriers except Delta, US Airways, American and Continental decreased FTEs from April 2010 to April 2011 (Tables 7, 8, 9)

Longer-Trend: The network airlines employed 4,446 fewer FTEs in April 2011 than in April 2007 even though America West's numbers were not combined with US Airways in the network category until October 2007. United reported the biggest percentage decline in FTE employment from 2007 to 2011, down 16.1 percent, followed by American, down 9.2 percent. April 2011 numbers for Delta and US Airways are not comparable to 2007 because of the intervening mergers (Tables 8, 9).

Low-Cost Airlines

Recent Trend: Low-cost airline FTEs were up 4.0 percent in April 2011 from April 2010, the largest year-to-year increase since September 2007 http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track'type=clickandenid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEzOTIxMDUmbWVzc2FnZWlkPVBSRC1CVUwtMTM5MjEwNSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY2NDYwNzgmZW1haWxpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=andandand102andandandhttp://www.bts.gov/pressreleases/2007/bts05307/html/bts05307.html. All seven low-cost airlines except Allegiant reported year-to-year increases (Tables 10, 11, 12).

Longer Trend: The six low-cost carriers reporting employment data in both 2007 and 2011 employed 10.3 percent more FTEs in April 2011 than in April 2007. Allegiant reported the largest percentage increase, up 73.3 percent (Table 12).

Low-cost airlines are those that the industry recognizes as operating under a low-cost business model, with lower infrastructure and aircraft operating costs.

Regional Airlines

Recent Trend: Regional airline FTEs were up 2.1 percent in April 2011 compared to April 2010. Colgan Airlines and Executive Airlines reported the largest increases. Mesa and Comair reported the largest decreases (Tables 13, 14, 15).

Longer Trend: The 15 regional carriers reporting employment data in both 2007 and 2011 employed 13.3 percent fewer FTEs in 2011 than in 2007. Comair reported the largest percentage decline followed by Mesa and Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Table 15).

Republic reported the biggest four-year gain followed by GoJet. Effective with January 2010 reporting, Republic's employment numbers include FTEs from Midwest Airlines. Midwest employment data were formerly included in the "Other Airlines" category (Table 15).

Regional carriers typically provide service from small cities, using primarily regional jets to support the network carriers' hub and spoke systems.

Reporting Notes

Airlines that operate at least one aircraft with the capacity to carry combined passengers, cargo and fuel of 18,000 pounds - the payload factor - must report monthly employment statistics.

Beginning with October 2007 data, US Airways' numbers are combined with numbers for America West Airlines in the network category. For previous months, America West's numbers were included with the low-cost airlines.

The Other Carrier category generally reflects those airlines that operate within specific niche markets, such as Hawaiian Airlines serving the Hawaiian Islands and the Far East.

Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial air carriers as of June 14. Additional airline employment data http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track'type=clickandenid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEzOTIxMDUmbWVzc2FnZWlkPVBSRC1CVUwtMTM5MjEwNSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY2NDYwNzgmZW1haWxpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=andandand103andandandhttp://www.bts.gov/programs/airlineinformation/numberofemployees/ can be found on the BTS website. BTS has scheduled release of May passenger airline employment data for July 19.

For data tables, see Passenger Airline Employment http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track'type=clickandenid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEzOTIxMDUmbWVzc2FnZWlkPVBSRC1CVUwtMTM5MjEwNSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY2NDYwNzgmZW1haWxpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hZ2VuZGFAZmluZC1pbmMuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=andandand104andandandhttp://www.bts.gov/pressreleases/2011/bts03211/html/bts03211.html

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