Airline Passenger Traffic Increases

Airline passenger traffic was up in all three summer months, the Air Transport Association reported Friday.

More than 49.5 million people took to the skies on U.S.-based domestic and international flights in August, an increase of more than 3 million from a year earlier, according to the association, which represents most of the nation’s major carriers.

Airline passengers in July totaled 47.8 million, up from 45 million in the same month a year earlier. For June, it was 46 million, compared with 44.4 million.

Airlines have carried 352.6 million passengers from January through June, up from 336.2 million during the same period in 1995.

The ATA figures cover passengers carried on America West, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest, Trans World, United, USAir, Alaska, Aloha, Continental Micronesia, Hawaiian and Midwest Express.