US Airways Group says December traffic fell 3.6 percent, planes were less full

US Airways December traffic fell 3.6 percent

TEMPE, Ariz. — US Airways Group Inc. said Wednesday that December traffic on its mainline and regional carriers fell 3.6 percent, outstripping a decline in capacity and leaving fewer seats filled on the average flight.

The company said paying passengers flew 4.69 billion miles last month, down from 4.82 billion miles in December 2008.

Capacity fell by 2.5 percent, to 5.9 billion available seat miles. That’s a measure of one seat flown one mile, so capacity rises with larger jets and longer flights.

The average occupancy or load factor on flights was 78.7 percent, down from 79.6 percent a year earlier.

Excluding the company’s regional airlines, US Airways traffic also fell 3.6 percent, to 4.49 billion miles flown. Capacity shrunk 2.4 percent, and average occupancy dipped to 79.3 percent from 80.3 percent a year earlier.

President Scott Kirby said the airline saw improvement in average prices for bookings and revenue from corporate travelers — key clients for airlines.

For the full year, companywide traffic fell 4.3 percent, to 60.02 billion miles flown by paying passengers. Capacity dropped 4.6 percent, to 73.86 billion available seat miles, and average occupancy rose to 81.3 percent from 81.1 percent in 2008.

On the mainline US Airways flights in 2009, traffic declined 4.4 percent, capacity fell 4.6 percent, and occupancy inched up to 81.8 percent from 81.7 percent in 2008.

Parent US Airways Group owns US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express. US Airways shares fell 5 cents to $5.26 in morning trading.