March 24--Do the airports seem more crowded to you these days? It's not your imagination.
The airline industry set a record for passenger traffic in 2015, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Systemwide, domestic carriers and foreign airlines serving the United States flew a record 895.5 million passengers -- both domestic and international -- in 2015.
That's up 5 percent from 2014, which was the previous record, said the department's statistics bureau.
American Airlines carried more passengers last year than any other U.S. airline. American and US Airways began reporting joint data in July, reflecting their merger.
Chicago-based United ranked fourth, down one notch from the previous year, though its passenger count still rose by 5.5 percent.
More passengers boarded planes in 2015 at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport, followed by Los Angeles and Chicago O'Hare. Those airports' rankings were unchanged from the prior year.
byerak@tribpub.com
