ATA Reports May Increases in Revenue, Yield on Recovering Economy

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2011 – The Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, reported that passenger revenue1 rose 14.4 percent in May 2011 compared to the same month in 2010, marking the 17th consecutive month of revenue growth. The revenue data is based on a sample group of U.S. carriers.2

“Increased air travel spending in May leading up to the busy summer travel season reflects the recovering economy. A double-digit yield increase with improvements in U.S. domestic and international markets will help the industry cope with stubbornly high energy costs,” said ATA Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich.

Systemwide passenger traffic, as measured by miles flown by paying passengers,3 rose 2.5 percent while the average price to fly one mile, also known as yield, rose 11.6 percent for the month.

U.S. domestic revenue grew nearly 14 percent, fueled in large part by an 11 percent yield increase
Trans-Atlantic revenue increased 13 percent from a year ago
Trans-Pacific revenue rose 12 percent as higher passenger yields offset a drop in the number of passengers following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami
Latin American/Caribbean revenue grew 26 percent as passenger yields rose 19 percent, the largest increase of any region
A sample of U.S. airlines4 saw spending on shipments of freight and mail rise 8 percent year over year (up 1 percent domestically and 11 percent internationally) in May 2011.

ABOUT ATA

Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesassn.