Most Popular Airlines, Busiest Airports – Latest Government Figures Released
Did your favorite airline make the Big 3? A trio of U.S. carriers took most passengers honors according to new government statistics covering the month of October 2012. Here are the winners:
Busiest U.S. Airlines
|
Most U.S. Passengers – October 2012 |
|
| Most domestic passengers | Southwest Airlines |
| Most international passengers | United Airlines |
| Most system-wide passengers | Delta Air Lines |
How to Find Cheap Flights on Any Airline
Slight Decrease in Passengers
Delta carried more travelers than any other U.S. airline last October and it also holds that distinction for year-to-date numbers (January through October 2012). For those keeping score, U.S. airlines flew more than 60.8 million passengers that month, but that was actually a slight decrease overall thanks to fewer domestic travelers (there was, however, a slight increase in international flyers).
Airport Trend – Airlines Fly to Smaller, Cheaper Cities
Busiest U.S. Airports
Some may be surprised to learn that the busiest U.S. airports were not New York’s JFK or Chicago’s O’Hare.
- Busiest airport for domestic passengers: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International
- Busiest airport for international passengers: Miami International
Those two airports also lead (so far) in the year-to-date figures for all of 2012.
