U.S. airlines carried 78.7 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in December 2023, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). When adjusted for seasonality, December enplanements are up 0.5% from November and reached a new all-time high the all-time high reached in December 2023.

BTS reported 67.9 million domestic passengers and 10.8 million international passengers on U.S. airlines flights in December, not adjusting for seasonality.

U.S. airline traffic reports are filed monthly with BTS. See the tables that accompany this release on the BTS website for summary data since 2016 (Tables 1-24) and complete data since 2000.

Two measures of U.S. airlines passenger enplanements

December seasonally adjusted

  • Systemwide enplanements (82.6M) reached a new all-time, seasonally-adjusted, high based on data through December 2023.
  • Domestic enplanements (71.6M) reached a new all-time, seasonally-adjusted, high based on data through December 2023.
  • International enplanements (10.93M) reached a new all-time, seasonally-adjusted, high based on data through December 2023.

December unadjusted

  • Systemwide enplanements (78.7M) were down 0.8% from the all-time December high (79.3) reached in 2019.
  • Domestic enplanements (67.9M) were down 2.6% from the all-time December high (69.7) reached in 2019.
  • International enplanements (10.78M) reached a new all-time high for the month of December.

Table A. Seasonally Adjusted Passenger Enplanements Compared to Previous Time Periods

Seasonally
Adjusted

Passengers
(in millions)

Percent Change Compared to

Previous
Month

Previous
Year

Three Years
Previous

December

82.6

0.5%

9.7%

160.8%

Table B. Unadjusted Passenger Enplanements Compared to Previous Time Periods

Unadjusted

Passengers
(in millions)

Percent Change Compared to

Previous
Year

Two Years
Previous

Three Years
Previous

December

78.7

9.5%

18.1%

157.7%

For data filed through December, 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 77 U.S. carriers as of March 6 for U.S. carrier scheduled civilian operations.

See the BTS Airlines and Airports page for additional scheduled service numbers through December for U.S. airlines. International data by origin and destination is available through September. International totals in this press release consist of all U.S. carrier operations to and from the U.S. and from one foreign point to another foreign point. BTS’ Airlines and Airports page does not include U.S. carriers’ foreign point-to-point flights.

BTS has scheduled April 11 for the release of data through January.

None of the data are from samples. Measures of statistical significance do not apply to the complete air traffic data.

Missing carriers: 3E, (Multi-Aero) have not reported for December. 2HQ (Elite) authority suspended and canceled.