MARCH 2013 U.S. AIRLINE TRAFFIC DATA

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)  reported today that U.S. airlines carried 65.1 million scheduled systemwide passengers  in March 2013, 1.0 percent more than in March 2012. The systemwide increase was  the result of a 0.6 percent increase in the number of domestic passengers (56.6 million)  and a 3.3 percent increase in international passengers (8.5 million).  BTS, a part of the Department's Research and Innovative Technology Administration,  reported that U.S. airlines carried 0.5 percent more total system (domestic + international)  passengers during the first three months of 2013 (172.9 million) than during the same  period in 2012 (Table 2). Domestically, U.S. airlines carried 150.1 million passengers,  up 0.3 percent from 2012 (Table 8). Internationally, they carried 22.8 million passengers,  up 2.2 percent from 2012 (Table 14). See Tables 2, 8 and 14 of Air Traffic Press  Releases for previous-year data.  The system load factor of 84.3 percent, the domestic load factor of 85.0 percent and  the international load factor of 82.8 percent were record highs for the month of March  (Tables 1, 7, 13). ). Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that  compares Revenue Passenger-Miles (RPMs) as a proportion of Available Seat-Miles  (ASMs).  International Load Factor and Capacity  In March, for the third consecutive month, international capacity measured by ASMs,  declined from the same month of the previous year. The capacity decline, combined  with an increase in RPMs from March 2012, resulted in a record international load  factor for the month of March, surpassing the previous high set in March 2010  (Table 13). See Tables 1, 7 and 13 of Air Traffic Press Releases for previous-year  data.  Top Airlines  Delta Air Lines carried more system passengers than any other U.S. airline in March  (Table 4).  Southwest Airlines carried the most domestic passengers (Table 10).  United Airlines carried the most international passengers (Table 16). The top 10 U.S.  airlines in terms of number of passengers carried 80.8 percent of systemwide  passengers, up from 79.8 percent carried by the U.S. airlines that were in the top 10  in March 2012. See Air Traffic Release for summary tables and additional data. Additional traffic  data can be found on the BTS Airlines and Airports page.  Click on a link in the  Quick Links box on the right.  For more historical data, see Traffic on the BTS website.