October 2020 U.S. Airline Traffic Data
U.S. airlines carried 29.4 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in October 2020, seasonally-adjusted, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' (BTS), up 8.4% from September.
BTS reported 27.2 million domestic passengers and 2.2 million international passengers on U.S. airlines flights in October.
Two measures of U.S. airlines passenger enplanements
October seasonally-adjusted
- System-wide enplanements (29.4M) were down 63.1% from the all-time high of 79.6 million reached in January 2020.
- Domestic enplanements (27.2M) were down 61% from the all-time high of 69.8 million reached in January 2020.
- International enplanements (2.16M) were down 77.9% from the all-time high of 9.81 million reached in January 2020.
October unadjusted
- Systemwide enplanements (30.0M) were down 62% from the all-time October high (78.6M) reached in 2019 and up 19% from September 2020 (25.3M).
- Domestic enplanements (28M) were down 60% from the all-time October high (69.9M) reached in 2019 and up 18% from September 2020 (23.9M).
- International enplanements (1.97M) were down 77.3% from the all-time October high (8.7M) reached in 2019 and up 41% from September 2020 (1.4M).
Table A. Seasonally Adjusted Passenger Enplanements Compared to Previous Time Periods
Percent Change Compared to
| Seasonally Adjusted | Passengers (in millions) | Previous Month | Previous Year | Three Year Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 29.4 | 8.4% | -62.1% | -59.1% |
Table B. Unadjusted Passenger Enplanements Compared to Previous Time Periods
Percent Change Compared to
| Unadjusted | Passengers (in millions) | Previous Year | Two Years Previous | Three Years Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 30.0 | -61.8% | -60.3% | -58.7% |
For data filed through October, see accompanying tables. For the complete database of reported data, see Traffic. For an explanation of BTS' seasonal adjustment methodology, see Seasonal Adjustment.
Reporting Notes
Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial U.S. air carriers detailing operations, passenger traffic and freight traffic. This release includes data received by BTS from 63 U.S. carriers as of Jan. 5 for U.S. carrier scheduled civilian operations.
BTS is withholding the scheduled release of estimated U.S. airlines' traffic data for November and December because the estimates are statistical forecasts based on previous trends. The estimates do not account for the impact of the coronavirus.