Airline employment continues slide

WASHINGTON — U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 6.8 percent fewer workers in May 2009 than in May 2008, the 11th consecutive decrease in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year.

All the network airlines decreased employment from May 2008 to May 2009 as did low-cost carriers AirTran Airways, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Regional carriers American Eagle Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Comair, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines, Republic Airlines, Colgan Airlines and PSA Airlines also reported reduced employment levels compared to last year.

The seven network carriers employed 260,500 FTEs in May, 67.2 percent of the passenger airline total, while low-cost carriers employed 16.4 percent and regional carriers employed 14.6 percent.