US Airline Industry
Strong summer season projected by US carriers
U.S. airlines expect to fly 2.2 million passengers per day globally this summer, slightly more than last year, an industry trade group said on Wednesday.
The Air Transport Association said carriers expect to fly about 202 million passengers between June 1 and August 1 with international travel expected to strongly outpace domestic flying.
"We would like to see more growth, but this slight uptick in the number of air travelers is a positive sign for an economy and an industry recovery," said James May, ATA's president and chief executive.
The spring and summer travel season is the busiest of the year for airlines, which have cut the number of seats for sale and increased fares to boost revenues.
Expected domestic travel should remain flat with international demand increasing 26 percent, trade group estimates show.
The projected daily average of 2.2 million passengers is roughly 1 percent better than last year and below the record 2.3 million flown in 2007.
Airlines continue to struggle financially but are better off than they were a year ago with demand rebounding in an overall improving economy.
May said jet fuel prices continue to be a drag
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