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July 2007 Passenger Airline Employment Up 2.6 Percent from July 2006
July 2007 Passenger Airline Employment Up 2.6 Percent from July 2006
BTS 44-07Dave Smallen
202-366-5568
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 2.6 percent more workers in July 2007 than in July 2006, the sixth consecutive increase in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today (Table 2). FTE calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported that the network airlines, a group that includes most of the industry's largest passenger carriers, reported more FTEs than the prior year for the third consecutive month after having reduced FTEs continuously since 9/11 (Table 1).
Adding FTEs from July 2006 to July 2007 were network carriers Continental Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways (Table 9), all of the low-cost carriers except JetBlue and ATA Airlines (Table 12), and regional carriers American Eagle Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Horizon Air, Pinnacle Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines, Trans States Airlines, Shuttle America, Republic Airlines and GoJet Airlines (Table 15).
Scheduled passenger airlines include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines. Many regional carriers were not required to report employment numbers before 2003, so year-to-year comparisons involving regional carriers, or the total industry, are not available for the years before 2003.
The 413,700 FTEs employed by the industry in July was the most in any month since September 2005 (Table 3). The seven network carriers employed 269,000 FTEs in July, 65.0 percent of the passenger airline total, while low-cost carriers employed 17.8 percent and regional carriers employed 14.5 percent (Table 4).
American Airlines employed the most FTEs in July among the network carriers, Southwest Airlines employed the most among low-cost carriers, and SkyWest employed the most among regional carriers. Seven of the top 10 employers in the industry are network carriers (Table 6).
Network Airlines
Network carrier FTEs increased 1.5 percent in July 2007 compared to July 2006, the second consecutive monthly gain from the same month of the previous year. Prior to the May increase, the network group had reduced FTEs from the previous year every month since August 2001 (Table 7).
Four network carriers increased FTEs from July 2006 to July 2007. They were: Delta up 8.0 percent, US Airways up 6.4 percent, Continental up 4.3 percent, and Alaska up 4.0 percent. The largest FTE decreases were reported by Northwest Airlines, down 3.8 percent and United Airlines, down 2.4 percent (Table 9).
Collectively, the seven network carriers reduced their FTE headcount by 14.0 percent, or 43,800 FTEs, from July 2003 to July 2007. Network carrier FTEs dropped from 312,500 to 268,700 during the four-year period (Table 8).
FTEs at six network carriers declined in July 2007 from July 2003. The exception was Continental with a 3.1 percent increase over July 2003. The biggest percentage decline was at Northwest, down 24.8 percent, a reduction of 9,700 FTEs, followed by US Airways at 22.7 percent. The other FTE decreases during that time were United, down 15.4 percent; Delta, down 17.2 percent; American, down 11.4 percent; and Alaska, down 3.6 percent (Table 9).
Data for US Airways and America West Airlines, now in the process of merging operations, are separately reported - US Airways' data are included in the network carriers' category and America West's in the low-cost carriers' category. US Airways will begin reporting a single number for the merged companies later this year.
Low-Cost Airlines
Low-cost carrier FTEs rose 5.9 percent in July 2007 compared to July 2006, the 10th consecutive increase after 18 consecutive monthly decreases from the previous year and the fourth consecutive increase of more than 5 percent (Table 10).
All the low-cost carriers had FTE increases from July 2006 to July 2007 except ATA, which reported a decline of 8.8 percent, and JetBlue with a decrease of 0.7 percent. This marked the first year over year monthly decrease in FTE headcount for JetBlue. AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines reported increases of more than 10 percent (Table 12).
Low-cost carrier FTEs were 70,700 in July 2003, 69,400 in July 2006 and 73,500 in July 2007. The rise from 2003 to 2007 was 3.9 percent (Table 11). The 2003 to 2007 increase would be 10.6 percent if the 2003 employment data are excluded for Independence Air, which discontinued all flights on Jan. 5, 2006 (Table 12).
Employment data for Independence, which changed its business model from a regional to low-cost carrier in mid-2004, have been included with low-cost carriers for 2004 and 2005 for consistency.
Low-cost carriers are those that the industry recognizes as operating under a low-cost business model, with fewer infrastructure costs and greater expectations of productivity.
Regional Airlines
Regional carrier FTEs were up 4.8 percent in July 2007 compared to July 2006, the first month with an increase in FTEs of less than 5 percent from the same month of the previous year since January of this year (Table 13).
Sky West and Republic reported the largest increases in the group. Sky West, the regional carrier with the most FTEs, employed 19.9 percent more FTEs in July 2007 than July 2006, while Republic employed 77.9 percent more (Table 15).
Regional carrier FTEs rose from 54,300 in July 2004 to 59,900 in July 2007, an increase of 10.2 percent (Table 14).
The 10 regional carriers reporting employment data in both 2003 and 2007 employed 21.7 percent more FTEs in July 2007 than in July 2003. Of that group, SkyWest reported the biggest gain, 89.9 percent, followed by American Eagle at 43.7 percent and ExpressJet at 37.4 percent. Mesaba Airlines, Air Wisconsin, Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Executive Airlines reported fewer FTEs in July 2007 than July 2003 (Table 15).
Regional carriers typically provide service from small cities, using primarily regional jets to support the network carriers' hub and spoke systems.
Reporting Notes
Airlines that operate at least one aircraft with the capacity to carry combined passengers, cargo and fuel of 18,000 pounds - the payload factor - must report monthly employment statistics.
The Other Carrier category generally reflects those airlines that operate within specific niche markets, such as Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines in serving the Hawaiian Islands.
Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial air carriers as of Sept. 13.
Additional airline employment data can be found on the BTS website at http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information/number_of_employees/. BTS has scheduled release of August airline employment data for Oct. 16.
Table 1: Change in Passenger Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* from the Previous Year
Percent change compared to same month the previous year for the most recent 13 months
| Month | Network Carriers (Pct. Change) From Table 7 | Low-Cost Carriers** (Pct. Change) From Table 10 | Regional Carriers (Pct. Change) From Table13 | All Passenger Airlines*** (Pct. Change) From Table 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2005-July 2006 | -8.1 | -2.6 | -0.8 | -5.9 |
| Aug. 2005-Aug. 2006 | -4.7 | -0.8 | -1.0 | -3.1 |
| Sept. 2005-Sept. 2006 | -4.1 | -0.4 | -0.3 | -2.7 |
| Oct. 2005-Oct. 2006 | -4.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | -2.3 |
| Nov. 2005-Nov. 2006 | -3.4 | 0.9 | 2.4 | -1.6 |
| Dec. 2005-Dec. 2006 | -2.9 | 1.4 | 3.4 | -1.0 |
| Jan. 2006-Jan. 2007 | -2.6 | 4.5 | 3.0 | -0.5 |
| Feb. 2006-Feb. 2007 | -2.2 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 0.2 |
| Mar 2006-Mar 2007 | -1.4 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 0.6 |
| Apr. 2006-Apr. 2007 | -0.7 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 1.3 |
| May 2006-May 2007 | 0.3 | 5.3 | 7.2 | 2.0 |
| June 2006-June 2007 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 2.3 |
| July 2006-July 2007 | 1.5 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
**Employment numbers in 2005 for Independence Air, which changed its business model from a regional to low-cost carrier in mid-2004, are included with low-cost carriers. The airline discontinued flights on Jan. 5, 2006.
*** Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers. Other Carriers generally operate within specific niche markets. They are: Allegiant Air, Aloha Airlines, Boston-Maine Airways, Casino Express Airlines, Continental Micronesia, Eos Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Midwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and USA3000 Airlines. USA3000 did not report in December 2006 and subsequent months.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 2: Change in Total Passenger Airline* Full-time Equivalent Employees** from the Previous Year
Percent change compared to same month the previous year
| Month | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -5.6 | -0.8 | -6.0 | -0.5 |
| February | -5.3 | -1.4 | -5.8 | 0.2 |
| March | -4.1 | -1.9 | -5.4 | 0.6 |
| April | -2.3 | -3.1 | -4.6 | 1.3 |
| May | -0.8 | -3.5 | -5.0 | 2.0 |
| June | 0.5 | -3.8 | -4.8 | 2.3 |
| July | 2.5 | -3.5 | -5.9 | 2.6 |
| August | 2.2 | -5.8 | -3.1 | |
| September | 2.4 | -5.8 | -2.7 | |
| October | 2.5 | -6.0 | -2.3 | |
| November | 2.2 | -6.5 | -1.6 | |
| December | 0.9 | -5.9 | -1.0 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.
** Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 3: Total Passenger Airline* Full-time Equivalent Employees** by Month
Numbers in thousands (000's)
| Month | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2007 | 2006-2007 | ||||||
| January | 465.7 | 435.0 | 431.5 | 405.7 | 403.6 | -13.3 | -0.5 |
| February | 459.4 | 435.0 | 428.9 | 404.5 | 405.4 | -11.7 | 0.2 |
| March | 454.3 | 435.9 | 427.7 | 404.7 | 407.4 | -10.3 | 0.6 |
| April | 448.2 | 437.8 | 424.1 | 404.0 | 409.6 | -8.6 | 1.3 |
| May | 443.2 | 439.6 | 424.4 | 403.6 | 411.8 | -7.1 | 2.0 |
| June | 438.9 | 440.9 | 424.3 | 403.8 | 413.5 | -5.8 | 2.3 |
| July | 433.2 | 444.1 | 428.5 | 403.3 | 413.7 | -4.5 | 2.6 |
| August | 433.3 | 443.0 | 417.5 | 404.4 | |||
| September | 429.6 | 440.0 | 414.5 | 403.4 | |||
| October | 428.3 | 439.1 | 412.7 | 403.3 | |||
| November | 429.9 | 439.5 | 411.0 | 404.2 | |||
| December | 430.2 | 434.0 | 408.6 | 404.7 | |||
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.
** Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
Note: Percent changes and averages based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 4: Total Number of Full-time Equivalent Employees* (FTEs) by Carrier Group, July 2003-2007
FTE Numbers in thousands (000's)
| Network | Low-Cost | Regional | All Passenger Airlines** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 312.5 | 70.7 | 40.8 | 433.2 |
| 2004 | 306.3 | 72.4 | 54.3 | 444.1 |
| 2005 | 288.2 | 71.3 | 57.6 | 428.5 |
| 2006 | 264.9 | 69.4 | 57.1 | 403.3 |
| 2007 | 268.7 | 73.5 | 59.9 | 413.7 |
| Pct. Change 2003-2007*** | -14.0 | 3.9 | 10.2 | -4.5 |
| Percent of Total Passenger Airline Employees in 2007 | 65.0% | 17.8% | 14.5% |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
** Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.
*** Percent change comparison for regional airlines and for all passenger airlines is for 2004 to 2007 because of the number of airlines in these categories that did not meet the standard for reporting monthly employment numbers.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 5: Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Carrier Group, Year-to-Year Change, July 2003-2007
Percent Change from the previous year
| Network | Low-Cost | Regional** | All Passenger Airlines*** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | -15.8 | 4.2 | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 | -2.0 | 2.3 | 33.0 | 2.5 |
| 2005 | -5.9 | -1.5 | 6.0 | -5.5 |
| 2006 | -8.1 | -2.6 | -0.8 | -5.9 |
| 2007 | 1.5 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
** Many regional carriers were not required to report employment numbers before 2003, so year-to-year comparisons involving regional carriers, or the total industry, are not appropriate for the years before 2003.
*** Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 6: Top 10 Airlines, July 2007
Ranked by Number of Full-Time Equivalent Employees*
| Rank | Airline | Total FTE Employees (000) | Carrier Group | July 2006 Rank | July 2005 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American | 72.9 | Network | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | United | 51.7 | Network | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Delta | 48.9 | Network | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Continental | 35.8 | Network | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Southwest | 33.6 | Low Cost | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | Northwest | 29.2 | Network | 6 | 4 |
| 7 | US Airways | 20.4 | Network | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | America West | 12.5 | Low Cost | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | Alaska | 9.8 | Network | 10 | 10 |
| 10 | Sky West | 9.8 | Regional | 12 | 11 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
Table 7: Network Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* Change from the Previous Year
Percent change compared to same month the previous year
| Month | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -12.5 | -4.1 | -8.1 | -2.6 |
| February | -11.0 | -4.6 | -7.8 | -2.2 |
| March | -8.7 | -5.0 | -7.4 | -1.4 |
| April | -6.6 | -6.5 | -6.7 | -0.7 |
| May | -4.9 | -6.6 | -7.0 | 0.3 |
| June | -3.6 | -7.0 | -6.8 | 1.3 |
| July | -2.0 | -5.9 | -8.1 | 1.5 |
| August | -1.7 | -9.0 | -4.7 | |
| September | -1.7 | -8.9 | -4.1 | |
| October | -1.4 | -8.9 | -4.0 | |
| November | -1.8 | -9.3 | -3.4 | |
| December | -3.5 | -8.5 | -2.9 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 8: Network Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Month
Numbers in thousands (000's)
| Rank | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2007 | 2006-2007 | ||||||
| January | 348.7 | 305.1 | 292.7 | 269.1 | 262.0 | -24.9 | -2.6 |
| February | 342.3 | 304.7 | 290.9 | 268.2 | 262.4 | -23.3 | -2.2 |
| March | 333.8 | 304.6 | 289.3 | 267.8 | 264.1 | -20.9 | -1.4 |
| April | 327.2 | 305.6 | 285.8 | 266.6 | 264.8 | -19.1 | -0.7 |
| May | 321.9 | 306.0 | 285.8 | 265.8 | 266.6 | -17.2 | 0.3 |
| June | 317.5 | 306.1 | 284.8 | 265.3 | 268.6 | -15.4 | 1.3 |
| July | 312.5 | 306.3 | 288.2 | 264.9 | 268.7 | -14.0 | 1.5 |
| August | 310.6 | 305.3 | 277.8 | 264.8 | |||
| September | 307.6 | 302.4 | 275.4 | 264.0 | |||
| October | 305.3 | 300.9 | 274.1 | 263.0 | |||
| November | 305.7 | 300.2 | 272.4 | 263.0 | |||
| December | 306.2 | 295.7 | 270.6 | 262.9 | |||
| Monthly Average | 320.1 | 303.7 | 282.4 | 265.4 | |||
| Jan-July Average | 329.1 | 305.5 | 288.2 | 266.8 | 265.3 | -19.4 | -0.6 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
Note: Percent changes and averages based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 9: Network Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees*, July 2003-2007
(Ranked by July 2007 FTEs)
Numbers in thousands (000's)
| Rank | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Percent Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2007 | 2006-2007 | |||||||
| 1 | American | 82.2 | 79.8 | 80.5 | 73.3 | 72.9 | -11.4 | -0.5 |
| 2 | United | 61.1 | 58.8 | 54.5 | 53.0 | 51.7 | -15.4 | -2.4 |
| 3 | Delta | 59.0 | 57.9 | 52.3 | 45.3 | 48.9 | -17.2 | 8.0 |
| 4 | Continental | 34.7 | 35.0 | 32.6 | 34.3 | 35.8 | 3.1 | 4.3 |
| 5 | Northwest | 38.9 | 38.6 | 37.6 | 30.4 | 29.2 | -24.8 | -3.8 |
| 6 | US Airways | 26.4 | 25.9 | 21.7 | 19.2 | 20.4 | -22.7 | 6.4 |
| 7 | Alaska | 10.2 | 10.3 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 9.8 | -3.6 | 4.0 |
| Total | 312.5 | 306.3 | 288.2 | 264.9 | 268.7 | -14.0 | 1.5 | |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Note: Detail may not add to total due to rounding
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 10: Change in Low-Cost Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* from the Previous Year
Percent change compared to same month the previous year
| Month | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.4 | 0.5 | -5.3 | 4.5 |
| February | 6.9 | 0.6 | -4.1 | 5.0 |
| March | 0.5 | 0.0 | -3.0 | 4.4 |
| April | 0.6 | -0.7 | -2.2 | 5.7 |
| May | 0.8 | -1.0 | -2.1 | 5.3 |
| June | 1.5 | -1.2 | -2.0 | 5.3 |
| July | 2.3 | -1.5 | -2.6 | 5.9 |
| August | 1.1 | -0.7 | -0.8 | |
| September | 0.7 | -1.0 | -0.4 | |
| October | -0.2 | -1.2 | 0.8 | |
| November | 0.5 | -2.5 | 0.9 | |
| December | 0.5 | -1.4 | 1.4 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
Note: Employment numbers in 2004 and 2005 for Independence Air, which changed its business model from a regional to low-cost carrier in mid-2004, are included with low-cost carriers. The airline discontinued flights on Jan. 5, 2006.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 11: Low-Cost Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Month
Numbers in thousands (000's)
| Rank | 2003** | 2004** | 2005** | 2006 | 2007 | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2007 | 2006-2007 | ||||||
| January | 65.7 | 71.2 | 71.6 | 67.8 | 70.8 | 7.8 | 4.5 |
| February | 65.9 | 70.5 | 70.9 | 68.0 | 71.4 | 8.3 | 5.0 |
| March | 70.5 | 70.8 | 70.8 | 68.7 | 71.7 | 1.7 | 4.4 |
| April | 70.6 | 71.0 | 70.4 | 68.9 | 72.8 | 3.2 | 5.7 |
| May | 70.7 | 71.3 | 70.5 | 69.1 | 72.7 | 2.9 | 5.3 |
| June | 70.6 | 71.7 | 70.8 | 69.4 | 73.1 | 3.5 | 5.3 |
| July | 70.7 | 72.4 | 71.3 | 69.4 | 73.5 | 3.9 | 5.9 |
| August | 70.8 | 71.6 | 71.1 | 70.5 | |||
| September | 70.7 | 71.3 | 70.6 | 70.3 | |||
| October | 71.3 | 71.2 | 70.4 | 70.9 | |||
| November | 71.9 | 72.3 | 70.5 | 71.1 | |||
| December | 71.3 | 71.6 | 70.6 | 71.6 | |||
| Monthly Average | 69.7 | 71.4 | 70.8 | 69.6 | |||
| Jan-July Average | 69.2 | 71.3 | 70.9 | 68.8 | 72.3 | 4.4 | 5.1 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
** Employment numbers in 2004 and 2005 for Independence Air, which changed its business model from a regional to low-cost carrier in mid-2004, are included with low-cost carriers. The airline discontinued flights on Jan. 5, 2006.
Note: Percent changes and averages based on numbers prior to rounding.
Note: Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
Table 12: Low-Cost Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees,* July 2003-2007
(Ranked by July 2007 FTEs)
Numbers in thousands (000's)
| Rank | 2003 | 2004** | 2005** | 2006 | 2007 | Percent Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2007 | 2006-2007 | |||||||
| 1 | Southwest | 33.1 | 31.7 | 31.4 | 31.7 | 33.6 | 1.5 | 5.7 |
| 2 | America West | 10.8 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 11.6 | 12.5 | 15.2 | 7.1 |
| 3 | JetBlue | 4.5 | 6.1 | 7.7 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 113.0 | -0.7 |
| 4 | AirTran | 5.3 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 8.2 | 54.9 | 14.2 |
| 5 | Frontier | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 70.1 | 12.1 |
| 6 | ATA | 7.5 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 2.4 | -68.2 | -8.8 |
| 7 | Spirit | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | -5.2 | 8.0 |
| 8 | Independence | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | 70.7 | 72.4 | 71.3 | 69.4 | 73.5 | 3.9 | 5.9 | |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
**Employment numbers in 2004 and 2005 for Independence Air, which changed its business model from a regional to low-cost carrier in mid-2004, are included with low-cost carriers. The carrier did not meet the standard for filing in previous years. The airline discontinued flights on Jan. 5, 2006.
N/A: Not applicable because carriers did not meet the standard for filing.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Note: Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
Table 13: Change in Regional Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* from the Previous Year
Percent change compared to same month the previous year
| 2004** | 2005*** | 2006 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.3 | 15.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| February | 17.3 | 14.3 | 1.1 | 5.9 |
| March | 21.6 | 13.7 | 0.5 | 5.6 |
| April | 21.7 | 12.6 | 0.6 | 5.6 |
| May | 23.3 | 11.1 | -0.6 | 7.2 |
| June | 24.9 | 11.0 | -1.6 | 5.1 |
| July | 33.0 | 6.0 | -0.8 | 4.8 |
| August | 31.6 | 5.1 | -1.0 | |
| September | 32.4 | 4.3 | -0.3 | |
| October | 33.0 | 2.7 | 0.6 | |
| November | 31.0 | 2.1 | 2.4 | |
| December | 29.3 | 1.8 | 3.4 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
** Mesa, Pinnacle and PSA began reporting employment numbers in 2004.
*** Republic, Shuttle America and GoJet reported for part of 2005.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 14: Regional Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Month
Numbers in thousands (000's)
| 2004** | 2005*** | 2006 | 2007 | Percent Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-2007 | 2006-2007 | |||||
| January | 48.3 | 55.8 | 57.2 | 58.9 | 22.0 | 3.0 |
| February | 48.9 | 55.9 | 56.6 | 59.9 | 22.4 | 5.9 |
| March | 49.6 | 56.4 | 56.7 | 59.9 | 20.7 | 5.6 |
| April | 50.3 | 56.6 | 56.9 | 60.1 | 19.6 | 5.6 |
| May | 51.2 | 56.9 | 56.5 | 60.6 | 18.3 | 7.2 |
| June | 51.9 | 57.6 | 57.0 | 59.9 | 15.3 | 5.1 |
| July | 54.3 | 57.6 | 57.1 | 59.9 | 10.2 | 4.8 |
| August | 55.0 | 57.8 | 57.2 | |||
| September | 55.2 | 57.6 | 57.4 | |||
| October | 55.8 | 57.4 | 57.7 | |||
| November | 55.6 | 56.8 | 58.1 | |||
| December | 55.3 | 56.3 | 58.2 | |||
| Monthly Average | 52.6 | 56.9 | 57.1 | |||
| Jan-July Average | 50.6 | 56.7 | 56.9 | 59.9 | 18.2 | 5.3 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
** Mesa, Pinnacle and PSA began reporting employment numbers in 2004.
*** Republic, Shuttle America and GoJet reported for part of 2005.
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 15: Regional Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees*, July 2003-2007
(Ranked by July 2007 FTEs)
| Rank | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Percent Change** | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2007 | 2006-2007 | |||||||
| 1 | Sky West | 5,139 | 6,399 | 7,794 | 8,144 | 9,761 | 89.9 | 19.9 |
| 2 | American Eagle | 6,611 | 8,604 | 9,373 | 9,211 | 9,499 | 43.7 | 3.1 |
| 3 | ExpressJet | 5,732 | 6,229 | 6,501 | 6,717 | 7,878 | 37.4 | 17.3 |
| 4 | Comair | 5,573 | 5,873 | 6,544 | 6,101 | 6,099 | 9.4 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Atlantic Southeast | 5,369 | 5,771 | 5,537 | 5,569 | 4,356 | -18.9 | -21.8 |
| 6 | Horizon | 3,357 | 3,360 | 3,409 | 3,477 | 3,827 | 14.0 | 10.1 |
| 7 | Pinnacle | N/A | 2,264 | 3,071 | 3,048 | 3,492 | N/A | 14.6 |
| 8 | Mesa | N/A | 3,743 | 3,314 | 3,376 | 3,163 | N/A | -6.3 |
| 9 | Mesaba | 3,045 | 3,104 | 3,306 | 2,776 | 2,609 | -14.3 | -6.0 |
| 10 | Air Wisconsin | 2,622 | 3,701 | 3,228 | 2,199 | 2,250 | -14.2 | 2.3 |
| 11 | Executive | 1,938 | 2,027 | 1,848 | 1,813 | 1,726 | -10.9 | -4.8 |
| 12 | PSA | N/A | 1,843 | 1,708 | 1,463 | 1,459 | N/A | -0.3 |
| 13 | Trans States | 1,151 | 1,399 | 1,463 | 1,310 | 1,319 | 14.6 | 0.7 |
| 14 | Shuttle America | N/A | N/A | 478 | 1,033 | 1,069 | N/A | 3.5 |
| 15 | Republic | N/A | N/A | N/A | 561 | 998 | N/A | 77.9 |
| 16 | Go Jet | N/A | N/A | N/A | 325 | 350 | N/A | 7.7 |
| Total** | 40,537 | 54,314 | 57,572 | 57,119 | 59,852 | 21.7 | 4.8 | |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
** Many regional carriers were not required to report employment numbers before 2003, so year-to-year comparisons involving regional carriers, or the total industry, are not appropriate for the years before 2003. The Percent Change 2003-2007 is based on the 10 carriers reporting in both years.
N/A: Not applicable because carriers did not meet the standard for filing.
Note: Detail may not add to total due to rounding.