After bowing to the awesome power of an Icelandic volcano in April, international air travel rebounded nicely in May and is now flying above even pre-recession levels.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says passenger traffic was up 11.7% compared to May of 2009, while freight demand spiked 34.3%. "Passenger traffic is now 1% above pre-recession levels," according to IATA's Giovanni Bisignani, "while the freight market is 6% bigger."
Which U.S. airlines had the merriest month of May? Continental and American Airlines were probably happiest to see the volcano behave. Each gathered over 40% of its revenue from non-domestic flights last year:
|
Airline |
Domestic Revenue |
Non-Domestic Revenue |
Total |
% Non-Domestic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) |
$6,941 |
$5,645 |
$12,586 |
45% |
|
AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) |
$11,974 |
$7,943 |
$19,917 |
40% |
|
UAL Corp. (Nasdaq: UAUA) |
$10,775 |
$5,560 |
$16,335 |
34% |
|
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) |
$19,171 |
$8,892 |
$28,063 |
32% |
|
US Airways (NYSE: LCC) |
$8,285 |
$2,173 |
$10,458 |
21% |
Data from Capital IQ. Revenue numbers in millions.
