BTS 52-13 BTS Releases September Passenger Airline Employment Data; September 2013 Employment Down 1.6 Percent from September 2012
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 380,165 workers in September 2013, 1.6 percent fewer than in September 2012, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. September was the 13th 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. BTS, a part of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the September 2013 FTE total for scheduled passenger carriers was 6,207 fewer than in September 2012. Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines. The 1.6 percent decline in FTEs in September 2013 from September 2012 may be due, in part, to two factors. First, American Airlines, the industry’s third largest employer, filed for bankruptcy in November 2011 and reduced FTEs by 7.1 percent year-to-year. Second, network carriers have experienced increased fuel costs and have reduced contracts with the regional airlines that operate less fuel-efficient regional jets. Regional airline employment is down 3.0 percent year-to-year. The five network airlines that collectively employ two-thirds of the scheduled passenger airline FTEs reported 2.1 percent fewer FTEs in September 2013 than in September 2012, the 14th consecutive month with a decline from the same month of the previous year. Delta Air Lines reduced FTEs by 2.7 percent from September 2012, American by 7.1 percent and United Airlines by 0.1 percent. US Airways increased FTEs by 2.9 percent and Alaska Airlines by 3.0 percent from September 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. Of the six low-cost carriers, four - Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Virgin America - reported an increase in FTEs from September 2012 while two - Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines - reported a decline. 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. -end-
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BTS Releases September Passenger Airline Employment Data
DOT Fines Brazilian Airline for Violations of Airline Consumer Rules
DOT 99-13 DOT Fines Brazilian Airline for Violations of Airline Consumer Rules The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today fined the Brazilian airline GOL $250,000 for violating a number of DOT’s rules protecting the rights of air travelers. This is the largest penalty assessed for violations of the rules adopted in April 2011. The airline was ordered to cease and desist from further violations of the Department’s airline consumer rules. “We adopted these rules to ensure that passengers are treated with respect when they buy a ticket or board a plane,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We will not tolerate disregard of our rules and will take enforcement action when necessary to protect travelers.” The Department’s Aviation Enforcement Office found that GOL’s U.S. website, for a period of time after it was launched in November 2012, failed to include a variety of information and features required by DOT air travel consumer protection rules. The website did not include a contingency plan for handling lengthy tarmac delays or a link from the homepage to a list of fees for baggage and other optional services. GOL also violated DOT’s full-fare advertising requirement by failing to include taxes and fees in fares displayed on the website in response to consumer searches. The full fare, including taxes and fees, was available only after the consumer selected a specific itinerary. The airline also failed to post its contract of carriage in an easily accessible form on its website. A consumer had to begin the process of searching for an itinerary before being able to gain access to the contract information. This made it hard to easily compare GOL’s contract with those of other airlines, and made obtaining the contract difficult for passengers who wanted to review the information online before booking a flight by telephone or with a ticket agent. GOL also failed to include on its website required information on how consumers can file a complaint with the airline. Today’s consent order is available at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2013-0004. ###
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BTS Releases August 2013 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
BTS 51-13
BTS Releases August 2013 U.S. Airline Traffic Data; Systemwide Passengers Down 0.1 Percent from August 2012The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that U.S. airlines carried 67.7 million systemwide (domestic + international) scheduled service passengers in August 2013, 0.1 percent fewer than in August 2012. The systemwide total was the result of a 0.9 percent decrease in the number of domestic passengers (58.1 million) and a 5.5 percent increase in international passengers (9.6 million).
BTS, a part of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that U.S. airlines carried 0.4 percent more total systemwide passengers during the first eight months of 2013 (502.7 million) than during the same period in 2012. Domestically, U.S. airlines carried 435.3 million passengers, virtually unchanged from 2012. Internationally, they carried 67.4 million passengers, up 3.1 percent from 2012. See Tables 2, 8 and 14 of Air Traffic Press Releases for previous-year data. The August 2013 international load factor of 87.0 percent was a record high for the month of August as year-over-year growth in revenue passenger-miles exceeded expansion of international capacity. Systemwide and domestic load factors remained below the all-time August highs reached in 2011. 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). Top Airlines In August, Delta Air Lines carried more systemwide passengers than any other U.S. airline. Southwest Airlines carried the most domestic passengers while United Airlines carried the most international passengers. The top 10 U.S. airlines in terms of number of passengers carried 80.5 percent of systemwide passengers, up from 79.6 percent carried by the U.S. airlines that were in the top 10 in August 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. ###
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BTS Releases Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI)
BTS 50-13 BTS Releases Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI); The amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry rose 0.8 percent in September from August, rising for the third consecutive month to reach its highest all-time level, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) released today. The September 2013 index level (115.8) was 22.1 percent above the April 2009 low during the most recent recession. BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that in reaching the all-time high of 115.8 in September, the Freight TSI rose 7.0 percent in the 11 months following a dip in October 2012. BTS’ TSI records begin in 2000. The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments by mode of transportation in tons and ton-miles, which are combined into one index. The index measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight. Analysis: The 0.8 percent increase in September freight transportation was driven by increases in all modes except rail carloads. The accelerating growth in each month of the third quarter of 2013 is consistent with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 2.8 percent during those three months. The TSI rise has continued since its low point in April 2009 despite some small downturns. The recovery showed growth across all modes, led by rail intermodal and truck. The only mode not to grow since the recession was Inland Waterborne. During the recovery, GDP increased by 10 percent while payroll employment increased somewhat more slowly at 3.8 percent. Trend: The Freight TSI remained above its 2012 range for the ninth month in a row. Beginning with January, every month in 2013 has exceeded the high point of 2012, 112.2 reached in December. The September 2013 level is the highest TSI freight has been in 2013, and is the highest all-time level. After dipping to 94.8 in April 2009, the index rose 22.1 percent in the succeeding 53 months. See Freight TSI Press Release for summary tables and additional data. See Transportation Services Index for historical data and methodology. ### You are subscribed to DOT News for Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
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Airline Consumer Complaints Down From Previous Year
DOT 95-13 Airline Consumer Complaints Down From Previous Year
WASHINGTON – Airline consumer complaints filed with DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division during the first nine months of this year were down 14.1 percent from the first nine months of 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report released today. From January to September 2013, the Department received 10,439 consumer complaints, down from the total of 12,153 filed during the first nine months of 2012. In September, the Department received 1,008 complaints about airline service from consumers, down 6.8 percent from the 1,081 complaints filed in September 2012 and down 23.5 percent from the 1,318 received in August 2013. The consumer report also includes data on tarmac delays, on-time performance, cancellations, chronically delayed flights, and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by the reporting carriers. In addition, the consumer report contains information on airline bumping, mishandled baggage reports filed by consumers with the carriers, and disability and discrimination complaints received by DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division. The consumer report also includes reports of incidents involving the loss, death, or injury of pets traveling by air, as required to be filed by U.S. carriers. A news release on the Air Travel Consumer Report is available at http://www.dot.gov/briefing-room/airline-consumer-complaints-down-previous-year. The full consumer report is available at www.dot.gov/individuals/air-consumer/air-travel-consumer-reports. Detailed information on flight delays is available at www.bts.gov. -END-
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