Houston reports fewer air passengers, takeoffs, and less freight

Decline follows service cuts

Wendy Natt, Jun 23, 09.

Recent data from the Houston Airport System shows that passenger volume, landings and takeoffs, and air freight shipments were all down in the first five months of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008. These figures were reported by Skip Kasdorf of the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) in a recent Houston Economic Indicators update:

The nationwide economic downturn and planned reductions in airline capacity initiated last September are reflected in the latest data for the Houston Airport System. Passenger volume for the first five months of this year was 11.0 percent below the same period last year, with declines of 11.4 percent in domestic volume and 8.8 percent in international. The number of landings and takeoffs was off 9.3 percent for that period, and air freight shipments fell 16.5 percent—a result of both a decline in shipments by all modes of transportation and a shift from air to other modes. In May alone, passenger volume slipped 12.3 percent over the year, landings and takeoffs declined 9.8 percent, and air freight was off 16.6 percent.

US airlines across the country are seeing similar declines in passenger traffic, according to recent figures from the US Department of transportation.

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View GHP’s full list of Houston Economic Indicators for June 23, 2009.