January 2020 U.S. Airline Traffic Data (Preliminary)
U.S. airlines carried 5.6% more scheduled service passengers in January 2020 than in January 2019, according to preliminary data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by the 25 airlines that carry the most passengers.
The 25 airlines carry 99% of the total passengers traveling on U.S. airlines.
January 2020 passenger numbers for 25 carriers with the most passengers:
- Total: 70.5 million passengers in January 2020, up 5.6% from January 2019 (66.7M)
- Domestic: 61.4 million passengers in January 2020, up 6.2% from January 2019 (57.8M)
- International: 9.13 million passengers in January 2020, up 2.0% from January 2019 (8.95M)
U.S. airline traffic reports are filed monthly with BTS. Final January data will be released on April 16. Complete international data by origin and destination will be released on July 16.
President Trump issued an order on Jan. 31 restricting travel to the U.S. from China. He issued an additional order on March 11 restricting travel to the U.S. from certain European countries.
Systemwide Passengers
January 2020 would be the 28th consecutive month of increases in U.S. airlines passengers from the same month of the previous year dating back to October 2017. The 5.6% increase in passengers from January 2019 would be smaller than the 8.8% increase from December 2018 to December 2019. It would be larger than the 0.5% rise from November 2018 to November 2019.
Table 1: Percent Change in US Airlines Passengers from the Same Month of the Previous Year 2017-2020
| 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January* | 3.0 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 5.6 | 2 |
| February | -0.2 | 5.7 | 3.0 | 3 | |
| March | 3.4 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4 | |
| April | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 5 | |
| May | 3.0 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 6 | |
| June | 3.4 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 7 | |
| July | 3.8 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 8 | |
| August | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 9 | |
| September | -2.3 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 10 | |
| October | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 11 | |
| November | 4.6 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 12 | |
| December | 3.5 | 3.6 | 8.8 | 13 | |
| Annual | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 14 | |
| 15 |
* January 2020 data is preliminary
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-1
Domestic Passengers
January 2020 would be the 28th consecutive month of increases in U.S. airlines domestic passengers from the same month of the previous year dating back to October 2017. The 6.2% increase in passengers from January 2019 would be smaller than the 9.5% increase from December 2018 to December 2019. It would be larger than the 0.2% rise from November 2018 to November 2019.
Table 2: Domestic Percent Change in US Airlines Passengers from the Same Month of the Previous Year 2017-2020
| 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January* | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 6.2 | 2 |
| February | -0.1 | 5.9 | 3.0 | 3 | |
| March | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 4 | |
| April | 3.7 | 5.7 | 3.7 | 5 | |
| May | 2.7 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 6 | |
| June | 3.1 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 7 | |
| July | 3.7 | 5.8 | 3.8 | 8 | |
| August | 5.0 | 5.5 | 3.4 | 9 | |
| September | -2.5 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 10 | |
| October | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 11 | |
| November | 4.5 | 4.4 | 0.2 | 12 | |
| December | 3.7 | 3.7 | 9.5 | 13 | |
| Annual | 3.0 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 14 | |
| 15 |
* January 2020 data is preliminary
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-1
International Passengers
January 2020 would be the 28th consecutive month of increases in U.S. airlines international passengers from the same month of the previous year dating back to October 2017. The 2.0% increase in passengers from January 2019 would be the smallest year-to-year increase since August 2018 (2.0%). It would be smaller than the 3.6% increase from December 2018 to December 2019and the 2.2% rise from November 2018 to November 2019.
Table 3: International Percent Change in US Airlines Passengers from the Same Month of the Previous Year 2017-2020
| 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January* | 2.1 | 1.0 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 2 |
| February | -1.2 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 3 | |
| March | 0.4 | 7.2 | 3.4 | 4 | |
| April | 9.8 | -1.0 | 4.6 | 5 | |
| May | 5.4 | 2.3 | 5.6 | 6 | |
| June | 5.3 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 7 | |
| July | 4.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 8 | |
| August | 4.9 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 9 | |
| September | -1.1 | 5.9 | 4.6 | 10 | |
| October | 3.2 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 11 | |
| November | 5.4 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 12 | |
| December | 1.7 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 13 | |
| Annual | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 14 | |
| 15 |
* January 2020 data is preliminary
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 International Market
Reported Preliminary Numbers Compared to BTS Estimates
The 25 U.S. airlines carrying the most passengers reported 5.6% more systemwide passengers in January 2020 than in January 2019, compared to the BTS estimate based on data reported through December 2019 of 5.9%. For domestic flights, the 25 airlines’ reported numbers were a 6.2% increase compared to the BTS estimate of 6.5%. For international flights, the 25 airlines’ reported numbers were a 2.0% increase compared to the BTS estimate of 2.1%.
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 25 U.S. airlines as of March 3.
See the BTS Airlines and Airports page for additional U.S. airlines numbers through December for U.S. airlines. International data by origin and destination is available through September.
BTS has scheduled April 16 for the release of reported data through January.
None of the data are from samples. Measures of statistical significance do not apply to the complete air traffic data.