August 2021 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
BTS 68-21
Contact: Todd Solomon
Tel: 202-366-0573
todd.solomon@dot.gov
U.S. airlines carried 62.9 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in August 2021, seasonally adjusted, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS), down 3.1% from July, up 163% from August 2020, and down 19% from pre-pandemic August 2019.
BTS reported 57.3 million domestic passengers and 5.6 million international passengers on U.S. airlines flights in August.
Figure 1. Monthly Passenger on U.S. Scheduled Airlines (Domestic + International), Seasonally Adjusted, August 2018-August 2021
| Enplanements | |
|---|---|
| Aug-18 | 74497 |
| Sep-18 | 73863 |
| Oct-18 | 74909 |
| Nov-18 | 74879 |
| Dec-18 | 75784 |
| Jan-19 | 75289 |
| Feb-19 | 76147 |
| Mar-19 | 77037 |
| Apr-19 | 76908 |
| May-19 | 76773 |
| Jun-19 | 76919 |
| Jul-19 | 77003 |
| Aug-19 | 77833 |
| Sep-19 | 77923 |
| Oct-19 | 77514 |
| Nov-19 | 79023 |
| Dec-19 | 78831 |
| Jan-20 | 80010 |
| Feb-20 | 78943 |
| Mar-20 | 37675 |
| Apr-20 | 3008 |
| May-20 | 7635 |
| Jun-20 | 15223 |
| Jul-20 | 21141 |
| Aug-20 | 23934 |
| Sep-20 | 27100 |
| Oct-20 | 29357 |
| Nov-20 | 29755 |
| Dec-20 | 31155 |
| Jan-21 | 30880 |
| Feb-21 | 31879 |
| Mar-21 | 41298 |
| Apr-21 | 47474 |
| May-21 | 55224 |
| Jun-21 | 60456 |
| Jul-21 | 64920 |
| Aug-21 | 62937 |
U.S. airline traffic reports are filed monthly with BTS. See the tables that accompany this release on the BTS website for summary data since 2016 (Tables 1-24) and complete data since 2000.
Two measures of U.S. airlines passenger enplanements
August seasonally adjusted
- System-wide enplanements (62.9M) were down 21.3% from the all-time high of 80.0 million reached in January 2020.
- Domestic enplanements (57.3M) were down 18.4% from the all-time high of 70.3 million reached in January 2020.
- International enplanements (5.61M) were down 42.3% from the all-time high of 9.72 million reached in January 2020.
August unadjusted
- Systemwide enplanements (66.9M) were down 20.1% from the all-time August high (83.8) reached in 2019.
- Domestic enplanements (60.6M) were down 16.7% from the all-time August high (72.7) reached in 2019.
- International enplanements (6.36M) were down 42.5% from the all-time August high (11.1) reached in 2019.
Table A. Seasonally Adjusted Passenger Enplanements Compared to Previous Time Periods
|
Seasonally Adjusted |
Passengers (in millions) |
Percent Change Compared to |
||
|
Previous Month |
Previous Year |
Three Years Previous |
||
|
August |
62.9 |
-3.1% |
163.0% |
-15.5% |
Table B. Unadjusted Passenger Enplanements Compared to Previous Time Periods
|
Unadjusted |
Passengers (in millions) |
Percent Change Compared to |
||
|
Previous Year |
Two Years Previous |
Three Years Previous |
||
|
August |
66.9 |
164.5% |
-20.1% |
-17.4% |
For data filed through August, see accompanying tables. For the complete database of reported data, see Traffic. For an explanation of BTS’ seasonal adjustment methodology, see Seasonal Adjustment.
Reporting Notes
Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial U.S. air carriers detailing operations, passenger traffic and freight traffic. This release includes data received by BTS from 77 U.S. carriers as of November 3rd for U.S. carrier scheduled civilian operations.
See the BTS Airlines and Airports page for additional scheduled service numbers through August for U.S. airlines. International data by origin and destination is available through May. International totals in this press release consist of all U.S. carrier operations to and from the U.S. and from one foreign point to another foreign point. BTS’ Airlines and Airports page does not include U.S. carriers’ foreign point-to-point flights.
BTS has scheduled December 16 for the release of data through September.
None of the data are from samples. Measures of statistical significance do not apply to the complete air traffic data.