March 28, 2018

2017 Traffic Data for U.S Airlines and Foreign Airlines Serving the United States

The U.S. Department of TransportationÕs Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported last Friday that U.S. airlines and foreign airlines serving the United States carried an all-time high of 965.0 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in 2017, 3.4 percent more than the previous record high of 933.1 million reached in 2016.
The systemwide increase was the result of a 3.0 percent rise from 2016 in the number of passengers on domestic flights (741.6 million passengers in 2017) and 4.8 percent growth from 2016 in passengers on U.S. and foreign airlinesÕ flights to and from the U.S. (223.4 million passengers in 2017).

Annual Passengers on All U.S. Scheduled Airline Flights (Domestic & International) and Foreign Airline Flights to and from the United States, 2003-2017 Passengers in millions

Annual Passengers on All U.S. Scheduled Airline Flights (Domestic & International) and Foreign Airline Flights to and from the United States

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Market (All Carriers)

U.S. airlines carried 3.0 percent more passengers on domestic flights and 3.5 percent more passengers on international flights in 2017 than in 2016 for a systemwide increase of 3.1 percent. Foreign airlines carried 6.1 percent more passengers to and from the United States than in 2016. The 223.4 million passengers on international flights to and from the United States was a record high, exceeding the previous high set in 2016.

This annual release includes preliminary data on U.S. carrier scheduled domestic and international service, including from one foreign point to another foreign point, and foreign carrier scheduled international service to and from the United States. BTS regular monthly air traffic releases include data on U.S. carrier scheduled service only.

Airlines with Most Passengers in 2017

Southwest Airlines carried more total system passengers in 2017 than any other U.S. airline. American Airlines carried more passengers on international flights to and from the U.S. in 2017 than any other U.S. or foreign carrier. British Airways carried the most passengers on flights to and from the U.S. of any foreign airline.

U.S. Airports with Most Passengers in 2017

More total system passengers boarded planes in 2017 at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport. More passengers boarded international flights at New York John F. Kennedy than at any other U.S. airport.

Load Factor and Capacity

From 2016 to 2017, systemwide demand, measured in Revenue Passenger-Miles, (RPMs and capacity, measured in Available Seat-Miles (ASMs), both grew by 4.4 percent. As a result, load factor, which measures the use of capacity, was virtually unchanged.

Demand on international flights, measured in RPMs, rose 5.2 percent, slightly more than the growth of 5.1 percent in capacity measured in ASMs. The result was a rise of 0.1 points in the international load factor to 80.6 from 80.5 in 2016.


Copyright 2018 Bureau of Transportation Statistics. All rights reserved. From https://www.bts.gov.

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