US airlines carried 85.2 million passengers in May, marking a 2.1% decline from the same month last year, according to data released by the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
The total includes 74.2 million domestic and 11 million international enplanements. While unadjusted figures show a dip on last year, seasonally adjusted data indicates a modest 0.5% increase from April.
May’s adjusted total of 80.2 million passengers remains 3.5% below the all-time peak of 83.1 million set in June 2024.
Domestic enplanements, adjusted for seasonal variation, were 69.7 million - down 3.7% from the June 2024 record. International travel also eased, with 10.5 million seasonally adjusted passengers, a 6.4% drop from December’s high.
Compared to May 2024, unadjusted domestic and international volumes declined by 2.2% and 2.0%, respectively.
However, overall traffic remains 12.5% higher than May 2022, reflecting longer-term recovery from the pandemic-era downturn.