Airline demand up nearly 5% in September
Crowded U.S. airlines carried 57.3 million domestic and international passengers in September, a 4.9% increase over the same month in 2009, according to new Transportation Department statistics.
The number of airline passengers flying in September was also 5.7% higher than the total for September 2008, but 3.2% lower than the pre-recession levels of September 2007, according to the statistics.
The latest numbers also show that U.S. airlines are flying planes at 81% of capacity, the highest level for any September since World War II.
The Air Transport Assn. of America, the industry trade group, also predicted that airlines in the U.S. would carry 43.6 million passengers during the upcoming holiday season, a 3% increase over the same period last year.
The report came as the Transportation Security Administration has been increasing the use of controversial full-body scanners that use low levels of radiation to create what looks like a nude image of the scanned passenger to spot items hidden under clothing.
Despite complaints, the TSA says the machines emit safe levels of radiation. The agency operates 430 scanners at 70 airports nationwide, including 19 at Los Angeles International Airport.
