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Chapter 5: Aviation Trends — Washington Aviation System Plan

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State
WASP
2009

This chapter from Washington State's 2009 Aviation System Plan examines commercial aviation trends affecting the state's airports, set against a turbulent national backdrop. U.S. major airlines suffered $27 billion in cumulative operating losses between 2001 and 2005 due to post-9/11 demand drops, soaring fuel costs, and intense competition from low-cost carriers, before returning to profitability in 2006. In response, legacy carriers restructured costs, reduced domestic capacity, and leaned more heavily on regional airline partners, contributing to rising passenger load factors across the industry.

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Chapter 5 of the Washington Aviation System Plan (WASP), dated July 1, 2009, covering national and statewide commercial service and general aviation trends. Discusses U.S. airline industry financial losses of $27 billion from 2001–2005, return to profitability in 2006 with $4.8 billion operating profit, jet fuel price increases from $0.84/gallon (2003) to $1.93/gallon (2006), domestic passenger load factors rising to 79% by 2006, and network/legacy carrier restructuring including capacity reductions, regional airline reliance, and bankruptcy proceedings. Data sourced from US DOT Form 41, Database Products Inc., and Air Transport Association.

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