U.S. airline traffic fell 61% in November to 28.5 million

By Andy Sullivan and David Shepardson Posted on January 12, 2021

FILE PHOTO: Passengers wait to check in at Tom Bradley international terminal at LAX airport, as the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Los Angeles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. airlines carried 61% fewer passengers in November over the same month in 2019 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to discourage air travel, the Transportation Department said Tuesday.

The decline was down slightly from the 62% decline in October. The largest 21 U.S. airlines carried 28.5 million passengers in November down from 72.8 million passengers in November 2019. It was the lowest monthly decline since April, when air travel fell to just 3 million passengers, down 96%.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul)