American Eagle Traffic Fell 3.1 Percent in August

American Eagle, the regional sister carrier to American Airlines, said Thursday that August traffic fell 3.1 percent from a year earlier, but planes were more crowded thanks to fewer flights.

The results were slightly better than the 8.1 percent decline in traffic at American. Airlines are struggling in the face of falling demand due to the recession and a drop in business travel.

Eagle said paying passengers flew 682 million miles in August, down from 704 million in the same month last year.

The airline cut capacity 7.2 percent to 938 million available seat miles, or the number of miles flown times seats on the planes.

The result was that the average occupancy on August flights was 72.7 percent, up from 69.7 percent a year earlier.

Eagle operates under its own banner and as Executive Airlines. Eagle and American Airlines are both owned by Fort Worth-based AMR Corp.

AMR shares rose 38 cents, or 7.4 percent, to $5.49 on Thursday. Despite disappointing traffic reports, airline shares benefited from falling oil prices, which could mean cheaper jet fuel, and by a rise in the broader stock markets.

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