Passenger revenue, based on a sample group of airlines, rose 15.4 percent in March versus the same month in 2009, marking the third consecutive month of revenue growth, the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) reports.
Approximately 1.4 percent more passengers traveled on U.S. airlines in March, while the average price to fly one mile rose 11.7 percent. Growth was robust across all regions in international markets, with passenger revenues rising 19.6 percent, the ATA says.
“With the global economy continuing to heal, spending on air travel in international markets led the way in March. However, we expect that the recent shutdown of European airspace due to volcanic activity will negatively impact April results,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May.
Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. On a daily basis, U.S. airlines operate nearly 26,000 flights in 80 countries, using more than 6,000 aircraft to carry an average of two million passengers and 50,000 tons of cargo.
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