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A4A
Projects Thanksgiving Air Travel to
Rise
3 Percent to 28.5 Million Passengers in 2017
|
Airlines accommodate
demand with 86,000 more seats per day
|
Washington,
DC – November 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / Airlines
for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading
U.S.
airlines, projects that 28.5 million passengers will travel on U.S.
airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving air-travel period, up 3 percent
from 2016. The 2.38 million passengers per day expected to take to the
skies represent an increase of 69,000 from the 2016 Thanksgiving travel
period. Airlines are accommodating this increase in demand by adding 86,000
more seats in the marketplace each day, a 3.2 percent increase over 2016.
The
2017 Thanksgiving air-travel period runs from Friday, Nov. 17 through Tuesday,
Nov. 28, with the busiest day projected to be Sunday, Nov. 26, with an
estimated 2.88 million passengers.
“Airline
passengers continue to benefit from the highly competitive air-service
landscape this holiday season, as low fares and increased availability
of seats continue to make air travel widely accessible,” said A4A Vice
President and Chief Economist John
Heimlich.
Daily
passenger volumes will range from 1.61 million to 2.88 million, with the
busiest travel days in ranked order expected to be Sunday, Nov. 26; Wednesday,
Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 17. The lightest travel day is expected to be
Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, Nov. 23.
U.S.
Airlines Urge Congress To Stop Unnecessary Passenger Facility Charge Increases
As
Congress considers a Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) increase on American
passengers, U.S. airports collected an all-time high $28.8 billion in revenues
in 2016, up 80 percent from 2000 and 7 percent from 2015, thanks to rising
airport fees, rent and PFC collections from travelers. Airports collected
$34.30 per passenger in 2016, up nearly 4 percent from 2015 and 49 percent
from 2000, outpacing U.S. inflation growth of 39 percent.
“There
is no justification to ask travelers to pay more when airports are sitting
on billions of dollars they aren’t using now,” said Sharon Pinkerton, A4A
Senior Vice President, Legislative and Regulatory Policy. “If airports
are determined to further pad their coffers at the expense of travelers,
they should own it and collect it themselves rather than burying an unjustified
tax hike in the price of an airline ticket.”
Pinkerton
also noted that if there was truly a need for additional funding, Congress
should reallocate some of the almost $6 billion sitting idle in the Airport
and Airway Trust Fund that passengers have already paid.
Airlines
Aid In Recovery Efforts After Devastating Hurricanes
After
2017’s devastating hurricane season, U.S. airlines quickly mobilized to
assist those in affected communities. Through relief flights, the transportation
of emergency supplies, airline employee volunteer efforts and fundraising
programs facilitated through airline mileage programs, U.S. cargo and passenger
carriers transported more than 4.5 million pounds of life-saving food,
water and supplies, accommodated more than 6,500 evacuees, relocated hundreds
of stranded pets and relaxed travel policies to more than 80 airports in
the path of the hurricanes. These hurricanes disrupted normal airline flight
operations, with the largest number of cancellations occurring the day
after Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys, with 4,567 cancellations.
Airline
Profits Shrink But Employment Continues To Grow
During
the first nine months of 2017, nine publicly traded U.S. passenger carriers
(Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit
and United) reported a combined pre-tax profit of $14.7 billion, resulting
in a margin of 12 percent – down from $18.4 billion and 15.5 percent, respectively,
in the first nine months of 2016. Although revenues for the group rose
3.8 percent, expenses rose further, up 8.1 percent, led by labor (up 8.1
percent) and fuel (up 17 percent).
According
to data compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, August 2017
represented the 46th consecutive month of year-over-year employment gains
for U.S. passenger airlines. Through the first eight months of the year,
full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) averaged 424,200 – the highest level
since 2004 and a 12 percent gain from 2010.
U.S.
Airlines Report Solid Operational Performance
Through
August 2017, the properly handled bag rate has increased to 99.74 percent,
up from 99.73 percent in calendar year 2016. Involuntary denied boardings
fell significantly, from 0.62 per 10,000 passengers in 2016 to 0.52 through
the first half of 2017. Both the denied boarding rate and handled bag rate
in 2016 were the best ever recorded. U.S. airlines completed 98.5 percent
of flights through August, down slightly from 98.8 percent in 2016 and
achieved an on-time arrival rate of 78.2 percent, down from 81.4 percent
in 2016.
ABOUT
A4A
Annually,
commercial aviation helps drive nearly $1.5 trillion in U.S. economic activity
and more than 10 million U.S. jobs. Airlines for America (A4A) vigorously
advocates on behalf of the American airline industry as a model of safety,
customer service and environmental responsibility and as the indispensable
network that drives our nation’s economy and global competitiveness.
America
needs a cohesive National Airline Policy that will support the integral
role the nation’s airlines play in connecting people and goods globally,
spur the nation’s economic growth and create more high-paying jobs. A4A
works collaboratively with the airlines, labor groups, Congress and the
Administration to improve air travel for everyone.
For
more information about the airline industry, visit our website Airlines.org
and our blog, A Better Flight Plan, at Airlines.org/blog.
Follow
us on Twitter: @AirlinesDotOrg
Like
us on Facebook: Facebook.com/AirlinesforAmerica
Join
us on Instagram: Instagram.com/AirlinesforAmerica.
Contacts:
Airlines
for America (A4A)
Vaughn
Jennings
Vice
President, Communications
202-626-4209
or
Todd
Burke
Senior
Vice President, Communications
202-626-4033 |