Total International Traffic up Four Percent in MayAsia, Mexico, Central America, Middle East and China Inbound Strong Markets
International air traffic to/from the U.S. (1) totaled 86.3 million passengers through May 2016, a six percent increase over the May 2015 year-to-date period.
U.S. citizen travel (39.4 million) was up nine percent and composed 46 percent of all air traffic. Non-U.S. citizen air travelers (47.0 million) increased by thee percent, with market share at 54 percent.
U.S. airlines carried 42.9 million passengers, up three percent, however their share slipped to just below 50 percent. Foreign flags carried 43.5 million passengers, up eight percent from same period 2015.
| International | Passengers (mlns) | % Chg y-o-y | Market Share | % Pt. chg. |
| U.S. Citizens | 39.352 | 9.3% | 45.6% | 1.5 |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 46.961 | 2.8% | 54.4% | -1.5 |
| U.S. Flag Carriers (3) | 42.863 | 3.0% | 49.7% | -1.2 |
| Foreign Flag Carriers | 43.450 | 8.4% | 50.3% | 1.2 |
The following, overseas, Canada and Mexico regions are ‘breakouts’ of international:
Overseas air traffic accounted for 62.6 million passengers, 73 percent of all international, and grew by six percent.
U.S. citizen travel (28.2 million) was up eight percent and composed 45 percent of overseas air traffic. Non-U.S. citizen air travelers (34.4 million) increased by five percent.
U.S. airlines carried 29.6 million passengers, up three percent, their share dropping to 47 percent. Foreign flags carried 32.9 million passengers, up 10 percent from May 2015 YTD.
| Overseas Regions | Passengers (mlns) | % Chg y-o-y | Market Share | % Pt. chg. |
| U.S. Citizens | 28.165 | 7.6% | 45.0% | 0.5 |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 34.425 | 5.3% | 55.0% | -0.5 |
| U.S. Flag Carriers | 29.642 | 2.7% | 47.4% | -1.6 |
| Foreign Flag Carriers | 32.948 | 9.8% | 52.6% | 1.6 |
Overseas regions performed as follows:
| Overseas Regions | Passengers (mlns) | % of all International | % Change2016/2015 YTD |
| Europe | 21.653 | 25% | 4.6% |
| Asia | 13.425 | 16% | 8.4% |
| Caribbean | 9.567 | 11% | 3.9% |
| South America | 6.435 | 7% | 5.2% |
| Central America | 4.961 | 6% | 9.4% |
| Middle East | 4.075 | 5% | 13.0% |
| Oceania | 1.966 | 2% | 7.0% |
| Africa | 0.508 | 1% | 3.4% |
China to U.S. ‘Air Arrivals’ (2) for May 2016:
| Non-U.S. Citizens(Originating from PRC) | U.S. Citizens(Returning to U.S.) | Total Inbound Passengers on Non-stop Flights | Load Factor (Estimate) | |
| Passengers | 215,003 | 104,246 | 319,249 | 81.7% |
| % Chg. May16/15 | 18.6% | 25.9% | 20.9% | -0.9 pts |
Estimated capacity (390,960 seats) on inbound flights from PRC was up 22.3 percent year-over-year. Overall inbound passenger growth, 20.9 percent, didn’t pace capacity growth.
Chinese carriers increased average weekly frequencies from 122 to 171*, up 40 percent.U.S. carriers increased average weekly frequencies from 126 to 135, up seven percent.(*Note: maximum round trip weekly frequencies, for each side, is 171 (Zones 1 and 2)
North American markets accounted for almost 28 percent of U.S. international air traffic flows.
Mexico air traffic accounted for 12.0 million passengers, 14 percent of all international traffic, and was up nine percent.
U.S. citizen travel (8.1 million) increased 14 percent and composed 68 percent of all air traffic. Mexicans, and other foreign national air travelers (3.8 million) transiting through Mexico, was flat, and market share dropped to 32 percent.
U.S. flags carried 8.9 million passengers, up nine percent from last year, and their share increased slightly to 75 percent. Foreign flags carried 3.0 million passengers, up eight percent, with share at 25 percent.
| Mexican Region | Passengers (mlns) | % Chg y-o-y | Market Share | % Pt. chg. |
| U.S. Citizens | 8.146 | 13.6% | 68.1% | 2.8 |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 3.823 | 0.1% | 31.9% | -2.8 |
| U.S. Flag Carriers | 8.942 | 9.2% | 74.7% | 0.2 |
| Foreign Flag Carriers | 3.028 | 8.0% | 25.3% | -0.2 |
Canadian air traffic accounted for 11.8 million passengers, almost 14 percent of all international traffic, and decreased by one percent.
U.S. citizen travel (3.0 million) increased 15 percent and composed 26 percent of air traffic. Canadian, and other foreign national citizen air travelers transiting through Canada (8.7 million), declined by five percent. Market share decreased to 74 percent.
U.S. flags carried 4.3 million passengers, down seven percent from last year, and their share slipped to 36 percent. Foreign flags carried 7.5 million passengers, up three percent.
| Canadian Region | Passengers (mlns) | % Chg y-o-y | Market Share | % Pt. chg. |
| U.S. Citizens | 3.040 | 14.7% | 25.9% | 3.5 |
| Non-U.S. Citizens | 8.712 | -5.1% | 74.1% | -3.5 |
| U.S. Flag Carriers | 4.278 | -6.6% | 36.4% | -2.3 |
| Foreign Flag Carriers | 7.474 | 3.0% | 63.6% | 2.3 |
May 2016 Year-to-Date
Top 10 Foreign Airports (Passenger Traffic to/From U.S.):33.2 million Passengers, 38% of Total International Air Traffic
Passengers (mlns)
| London Heathrow (LHR) | 5.576 | |
| Toronto (YYZ) | 5.266 | |
| Cancun (CUN) | 3.996 | |
| Tokyo Narita (NRT) | 3.827 | |
| Mexico City (MEX) | 2.895 | |
| Paris/de Gaulle (CDG) | 2.538 | |
| Incheon (ICN) | 2.525 | |
| Frankfurt (FRA) | 2.484 | |
| Vancouver (YVR) | 2.191 | |
| Amsterdam (AMS) | 1.867 |
Top 10 U.S. Airports (Passenger Traffic to/From Foreign Airports):58.6 million Passengers, 67% of Total Air Traffic
Passengers (mlns)
| New York (JFK) | 12.021 | |
| Miami (MIA) | 8.833 | |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 8.716 | |
| Chicago ((ORD) | 4.729 | |
| Newark (EWR) | 4.709 | |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 4.664 | |
| San Francisco (SFO)Â | 4.633 | |
| Houston Intercontinental (IAH) | 4.431 | |
| Dallas-Ft Worth (DFW) | 3.196 | |
| Washington Dulles (IAD) | 2.675 | |
Top 10 Airlines (3) Serving U.S. International Non-Stop Markets:48.3 million Passengers, 56% of Total Air Traffic
Passengers (mlns)
| United Airlines (UA) | 11.983 | |
| Delta Air Lines (DL) | 11.759 | |
| American Airlines (AA) | 9.79 | |
| Jet Blue (B6) | 2.881 | |
| British Airways (BA) | 2.846 | |
| Lufthansa (LH) | 2.166 | |
| WestJet (WS) | 2.074 | |
| Air Canada rouge (RV) | 1.706 | |
| Air Canada (AC) | 1.637 | |
| Air Mexico (AM) | 1.426 |
Monthly % changes: (See chart at top)
Subsequently NTTO will publish the May U.S. Citizen Outbound, all mode travel. (U.S. Citizen outbound is a component in the estimation of U.S. travel ‘imports’. For current 2016, April: http://travel.trade.gov/view/
A description of the “APIS” program: http://travel.trade.gov/
