* 2021 figure is estimated and 2022 figure is forecast.
U.S. and foreign flag air carriers.
The figures through 2018 are taken from a previous annual report.
The values prior to 2015 have been summed.
Citation formats
Total air traffic passengers traveling to/from the United States 2006-2022
Since 2006, the total number of air traffic passengers increased steadily. In 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is estimated that the number of air passengers traveling to and from the U.S. was only 99 million.
Passenger aviation in the U.S.
After the 2008 financial crisis, the U.S. passenger aviation industry experienced a profound evolution. Between 2009 and 2019, the aviation industry in the U.S. experienced an increasing concentration amongst the leading airline operators. In 2021, there were 18 major air carriers in the U.S. Moreover, between 2009 and 2019, passenger revenue generated by the U.S. airline industry increased exponentially, and then dropped sharply in 2020, due to the pandemic, reaching 49 billion U.S. dollars.
Size of U.S. aviation industry
Thanks to the efficiency-enhancing measures, major competing aviation firms provided a steady improvement in the aviation industry. Five out of the ten most profitable airlines worldwide are U.S.-based, indicating how large the aviation market in the U.S. is compared to the rest of the world. Besides this, the U.S. had the highest airport connectivity in 2019, reaching a score of 7.29 million.
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Federal Aviation Administration. (June 28, 2022). Total number of air traffic passengers traveling to or from the United States from 2006 to 2022 (in million passengers) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from /statistics/193590/total-air-traffic-passengers-travelling-to-or-from-the-us/
Federal Aviation Administration. "Total number of air traffic passengers traveling to or from the United States from 2006 to 2022 (in million passengers)." Chart. June 28, 2022. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 29, 2026. /statistics/193590/total-air-traffic-passengers-travelling-to-or-from-the-us/
Federal Aviation Administration. (2022). Total number of air traffic passengers traveling to or from the United States from 2006 to 2022 (in million passengers). ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 29, 2026. /statistics/193590/total-air-traffic-passengers-travelling-to-or-from-the-us/
Federal Aviation Administration. "Total Number of Air Traffic Passengers Traveling to or from The United States from 2006 to 2022 (in Million Passengers)." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 28 Jun 2022, /statistics/193590/total-air-traffic-passengers-travelling-to-or-from-the-us/
Federal Aviation Administration, Total number of air traffic passengers traveling to or from the United States from 2006 to 2022 (in million passengers) ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/193590/total-air-traffic-passengers-travelling-to-or-from-the-us/ (last visited July 29, 2026)
Total number of air traffic passengers traveling to or from the United States from 2006 to 2022 (in million passengers) [Graph], Federal Aviation Administration, June 28, 2022. [Online]. Available: /statistics/193590/total-air-traffic-passengers-travelling-to-or-from-the-us/
