Look for skies less crowded on Labor Day

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The friendly skies may be a little less crowded this Labor Day, a U.S. airline trade group said Tuesday.

The Air Transport Association of America predicted 16 million passengers will find a seat on a U.S. airline over the holiday. The figure includes a 1 percent jump in international travelers and a 6.5 percent drop in domestic travelers, the group said.

"Economic uncertainty and the heavy hit from sky-high energy prices mean that many vacation and business travelers are choosing to stay closer to home -- if they go at all," said ATA President and Chief Executive Officer James May in a statement.

Rising jet fuel costs averaged $160.47 a barrel June 1 through Aug. 12, a 79 percent increase from the same period a year ago, when jet fuel prices averaged $89.82 a barrel, the ATA statement said.

The ATA called for Congress to pass a national energy policy, "as recent declines are no cause for complacency," the statement said.

In 2008, 12 U.S. carriers have either closed their businesses or filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the report said.