Travel slump cuts Delta ridership in June

Delta Air Lines' passenger traffic fell 6.3 percent in June compared with a year earlier, as the weak economy cuts into summer travel demand.

The Atlanta-based airline reduced its flight capacity by 5.8 percent, and its planes were 85.5 percent full in the month, down from 86 percent in June 2008.

Delta's domestic passenger traffic declined 4.7 percent, while its international passenger traffic declined 8.7 percent in June compared with a year earlier.

The carrier's business in the Pacific declined the most among the regions reported, with a 17.3 percent drop on those international flights. Delta had cut capacity in the Pacific region by only 5.9 percent. That meant Delta's planes in the Pacific were only 77.2 percent full, down from 87.9 percent a year earlier.

Cargo traffic declined significantly, with a 27.8 percent drop in the month.

Delta continues to trim its international flight schedule, and last month announced it will cut international capacity by 15 percent this year. That includes discontinuing flights from Atlanta to Shanghai, Seoul and Mumbai. For the Shanghai route, which required special federal clearance, the U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday granted Delta's request to discontinue the service until Sept. 1, 2010.

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