Delta Air Lines said its passenger traffic fell 9.7 percent in May from the same month a year earlier. Capacity dropped 7.9 percent, reflecting flight cuts related to the recession.
The Atlanta-based airline said it filled 82.3 percent of its seats for the month, down 1.6 points from a year ago.
International flights led the May decline, with passenger traffic down 14.6 percent on a 10.7 percent capacity decrease. Domestic traffic dropped 6.5 percent, while capacity was down 6 percent. The figures include the operations of both Delta and merger partner Northwest Airlines.
For the first five months of the year, systemwide traffic fell 9.2 percent on a 6.9 percent capacity decline, Delta said.
