U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 3.8 percent fewer workers in March 2010 than in March 2009, the 21st 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 today.  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 March FTE total of 377,261 for the scheduled passenger carriers was 14,800 below that of March 2009 and the lowest monthly total for any month since at least 1990. Historic employment data can be found on the BTS web site.

Five network airlines decreased employment from March 2009 to March 2010.  Delta Air Lines, after completing its merger with Northwest Airlines, is reporting combined numbers in 2010 compared to separate reporting through December 2009. 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.

Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways were the only low-cost carriers to report a decrease from March 2009. Regional carriers American Eagle Airlines, Comair, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Executive Airlines, Shuttle America, PSA Airlines and Lynx Airlines also reported reduced employment levels compared to last year.

Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines.

The six network airlines employed 256,500 FTEs in March, 68.0 percent of the passenger airline total, while low-cost carriers employed 16.9 percent and regional carriers employed 13.7 percent