The number of domestic and international passengers on U.S. air carriers in August 2009 fell 4.1 percent to 65 million from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. It marked the 17th consecutive month of year-over-year declines.

For the first eight months of 2009, the total number of passengers on U.S. airlines fell 7.6 percent to 478.6 million from 517.9 million during the same period in 2008. The number of scheduled passengers on U.S. airlines this past August slipped by 2.8 million. U.S. airlines carried 4.5 percent fewer international passengers in August.

U.S. airlines carried 7.5 percent fewer domestic passengers and 8.2 percent fewer international passengers in the first eight months of 2009 than during the same period in 2008.

In August, Southwest Airlines carried more domestic passengers and American Airlines carried the most international travelers. During the first eight months of 2009, Southwest carried the most domestic passengers and American carried the largest number of passengers going overseas.

In August, more passengers boarded planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport and more international passengers boarded U.S. carriers at New York JFK than at any other U.S. airport.

During the first eight months of 2009, more passengers boarded planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport, but more international passengers boarded U.S. carriers at Miami International than at any other U.S. airport.

For the month, U.S. air carriers operated 852,600 scheduled domestic and international flights, down 5.4 percent from the number of flights operated in August 2008 The number of domestic flights decreased 5.3 percent in August from a year earlier while international flights were down 6.8 percent.

During the first eight months of 2009, U.S. carriers operated 6.5 million domestic and international flights, 8.2 percent fewer than were operated during the same period in 2008.   Domestic flights decreased 8.3 percent from the previous year while international flights were down 7.3 percent.