Delta's passenger traffic declines

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Delta Air Lines’ passenger traffic fell 7.1 percent in November compared with a year earlier, as it continued its capacity cuts to adjust to slower travel. Domestic traffic fell 4.6 percent while international traffic fell 11.2 percent.

The drop in traffic, measured by revenue passenger miles, came as Atlanta-based Delta shrank its flight capacity by 8.4 percent. Delta’s planes averaged 79.6 percent full, up from 78.5 percent last November.

Meanwhile, AirTran Airways said its traffic increased 10.5 percent on a 9.2 percent increase in flight capacity. Its planes averaged 76.7 percent full, up from 75.8 percent a year earlier. AirTran, which is based in Orlando and has its largest hub in Atlanta, said the traffic and flight capacity figures are new records for the airline for the month of November.