Delta’s passenger traffic drops 12.6 percent

Although Delta Air Lines has been cutting its flight schedule amid a recession-fueled decline in travel, its passenger traffic continues to drop faster.

Atlanta-based Delta’s reported Monday that its passenger traffic dropped 12.6 percent in March compared with a year earlier. It cut flight capacity by 7.9 percent for the month. The results include operations of Delta and merger partner Northwest.

Although Delta cut domestic flight capacity more than international for the month, its international traffic declined more. Delta’s domestic traffic declined 11.1 percent, while international traffic declined 15.1 percent.

The declines meant that Delta’s planes were not as full. In March, Delta flights averaged 80.5 percent full, down from 84.9 percent a year earlier. In the carrier’s international Atlantic market, planes were 73.6 percent full on average last month, down 10 percentage points from a year earlier.

Delta’s cargo traffic saw even larger drops, declining 36.7 percent in March compared with a year earlier.

Delta last month said it plans to cut more jobs and pare more international flights, after its last round of buyouts fell short of targets in certain areas. After earlier announcing 6 percent to 8 percent capacity cuts for 2009, Delta said it will reduce international flight capacity by another 10 percent starting in September, along with “modest” domestic cuts.