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CNN Live Today

Slump in Skies Will Continue For Another Year

Aired March 12, 2002 - 13:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It's appears the slump in the skies will continue now for another year. The FAA forecasts a slow year for airline travel, and says airlines will not reach the pre-September 11th passenger numbers until 2003.

We're joined now by CNN's Kathleen Koch, who's in Washington with more.

Good afternoon.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.

Well, this comes from Federal Aviation Administration's annual commercial aviation forecast. And as can be expected, since 9-11, it doesn't have much good news in it. Air travel is improving somewhat, though. In the month of February, down just 10 percent in the U.S., whereas back in September, it was down some 35 percent.

Now when you look though across the board at the future, the FAA says things are going to be improving.

Now this year -- we'll take a look at a graphic that shows it. In 2001, or I'll tell you a little bit about it, it was off by about .8 percent, then jumping still down further in 2002, 12 percent.

2003, though, it will start heading back up by some 14 percent, and then later on through 2013, be up a total of 4.2 percent every year. But, Bill, different airports are being hit in different ways. Chicago, down 15 percent in air travel. La Guardia, down 29 percent, Atlanta, down 6 percent, LAX and Los Angeles down 23 percent, Dallas, 20 percent, Baltimore 9 percent. So it really varies from airport to airport. They say that across the word, the nation's hub airports, the 34 biggest hub airports are down about 12 percent from 2001, that the traffic has really dropped off.

But again, they're saying, looking down the road, things are going to start to improve, and that the travelers, air travelers will be coming back, and the FAA says good news is that this will give them a little bit of time to prepare, to build more runways, to improve the air traffic control system, so that they're ready when the traffic goes back up -- Bill.

HEMMER: LAX and La Guardia really stand out on that list there.

Kathleen, thanks. Kathleen Koch, live there in D.C.

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