BTS Releases March Passenger Airline Employment Data; March 2013 Employment Down 2.7 Percent from March 2012

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 380,325 workers in March 2013, 2.7 percent fewer than in March 2012, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. March was the seventh consecutive month that full-time equivalent (FTE) employment for U.S. scheduled passenger carriers was below that of the same month of the previous year, following 21 months of increases (December 2010 through August 2012).

BTS, a part of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the March 2013 FTE total for scheduled passenger carriers was 10,436 fewer than in March 2012 and down 3.0 percent from the recent March high of 392,077 in March 2009. Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines. Historical employment data can be found on the BTS web site.

The five network airlines that collectively employ two-thirds of the scheduled passenger airline FTEs reported 3.3 percent fewer FTEs in March 2013 than in March 2012, the eighth consecutive decline from the same month of the previous year.

Delta Air Lines reduced FTEs by 4.1 percent from March 2012. American Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in November 2011, reduced FTEs by 9.9 percent over the same period. United Airlines reported 0.9 percent more FTEs than in March 2012. US Airways reported 1.3 percent more FTEs while Alaska Airlines increased FTEs by 3.9 percent from March 2012. 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.

Four of the six low-cost carriers – Allegiant Airlines, Virgin America Airlines, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways – reported an increase in FTEs. Southwest Airlines, following its merger with AirTran Airways, reported 45,791 FTEs in March 2013, 0.7 percent less than the two airlines reported separately in March 2012. Frontier Airlines also reported fewer FTEs. Low-cost airlines operate under a low-cost business model, with infrastructure and aircraft operating costs below the overall industry average.

See Passenger Airline Employment press release for summary tables and additional data. Historical employment data can be found on the BTS web site.

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