(Includes employment figures for specific carriers.)
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
U.S. airlines' employment fell for the 15th consecutive month,
dropping 5.5% from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Steep declines in business travel during the economic downturn
have been taking a heavy toll on U.S. airlines, offsetting the
benefits of lower fuel prices and forcing them to take new steps to
control costs and boost revenue.
Total full- and part-time employment was 563,573 in September,
down 1% from August, according to the department's Bureau of
Transportation Statistics.
Among carriers with at least $1 billion in annual revenue, the
year-to-year drop was 4.8%. The passenger airlines with the biggest
declines were both regional carriers: ExpressJet Holdings Inc.
(XJT) and SkyWest Inc.'s (SKYW) Atlantic Southeast Airlines, which
both reported a 19% decline.
Discount carriers JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) and AirTran
Holdings Inc. (AAI) were the only two airlines to add employees
compared with the previous year. Their growth was 5.8% and 4.2%,
respectively.
-By Joan E. Solsman, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2291;
joan.solsman@dowjones.com