WASHINGTON D.C. -- U.S. airlines carried 0.4% fewer domestic passengers during the first nine months of 2003, compared to the comparable period in 2002, according to the U.S. Transportation Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Based on preliminary data, BTS also reported that U.S. airlines carried 1.1% more domestic passengers in September 2003 than in September 2002, based on a year-to-year comparison of the airlines that reported traffic data in both months. This and more information on September airline traffic, including airline and airport rankings, is on the Internet at www.bts.gov.

Traffic was down 2.9% during the first nine months of 2003 compared to the same period in 2001 for the continuously reporting carriers. This included the pre-Sept. 11 period as well as the immediate impact of the terrorist attacks. Commuter and small certificated carriers began reporting traffic data in October 2002.