Delta systemwide traffic rises 0.2 percent in June

ATLANTA—Delta Air Lines Inc. said Wednesday traffic inched 0.2 percent higher in June, on a slight increase in capacity.

Systemwide traffic grew to 11.69 billion revenue passenger miles, from 11.67 billion in June 2007. A revenue passenger mile is a unit measuring one paying passenger flown one mile.

Capacity edged up 0.7 percent to 13.68 billion available seat miles in June, compared with 13.59 billion a year earlier.

The systemwide load factor, an industry measure of occupancy, slipped to 85.4 percent from 85.9 percent in June 2007.

Domestic traffic rose 3.4 percent to 30.47 billion revenue passenger miles in June.

Delta skimmed domestic capacity by 4.4 percent in June to 36.76 billion available seat miles compared with 2007. The nation's third-largest carrier said last month it will cut domestic capacity by 13 percent in the second half of 2008 because of record fuel prices.

So far this year, systemwide traffic is up 2.9 percent to 60.47 billion revenue passenger miles.

Capacity rose 1.9 percent in the first six months of the year to 74.83 billion available seat miles.

Occupancy increased 0.7 percent to a load factor of 80.8 percent.

Delta shares rose 23 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $5.13 in midday trading.