U.S. air travel to fall by 10 percent

WASHINGTON, June 30 (UPI) -- The busiest airports in the United States will be less busy this fall, the Official Airline Guide says, with airlines expected to cut capacity by 10 percent.

Published schedules show that airlines plan to cut back at least 10 percent of their domestic capacity at the 100 busiest airports, USA Today reported Monday.

More cutbacks are expected for 2009, as airlines continue to scale back flights to make up for rising jet fuel costs, the report said.

On the current schedule, airports in Cincinnati, Houston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Phoenix and will have at least 10 percent of their passenger capacity cut, the newspaper reported.

But, the reduced capacity will also require fare increases, as airlines need to cover costs, AirlineForecasts analyst Vaughn Cordle told the newspaper.

Fares will need to increase 20 percent but the higher prices will also affect the number of travelers, which may decline by 15 percent to 20 percent, Cordle said.