U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 3.3 percent fewer workers in December 2009 than in December 2008, the 18th consecutive decrease in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported.  FTE calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.
    
BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the December FTE total of 379,100 for the scheduled passenger carriers was 12,900 below December 2008 and the lowest total for any month since 1993. Historic employment data can be found on the BTS web site.
    
Six of the seven network airlines decreased employment from December 2008 to December 2009.  Delta Air Lines, which is completing its merger with Northwest Airlines, was the lone network carrier to increase employment. Network airlines operate a significant portion of their flights using at least one hub where connections are made for flights to down-line destinations or spoke cities.
    
Low-cost carriers Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines also reported decreases from December 2008. Regional carriers American Eagle Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Comair, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, PSA Airlines and Colgan Airlines also reported reduced employment levels compared to last year.
    
Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines.
    
The seven network airlines employed 258,100 FTEs in December, 68.1 percent of the passenger airline total, while low-cost carriers employed 16.5 percent and regional carriers employed 13.9 percent.