ARC, the financial settlement link between airlines and travel sellers, reports today that airline tickets sold by U.S.-based agencies increased 11.22 percent* year-over-year for the first two months of 2011, and a 26 percent increase over the same period in 2009. January-February ticket sales totalled $13.5 billion in 2011, compared to $12.2 billion in 2010, and $10.7 billion in 2009.

Year-to-date passenger traffic for 2011 was down slightly at 54.1 million flyers compared to 54.6 million in 2010, while reflecting a 6 percent increase over the same period in 2009. 

Passenger traffic for one of the top 10 busiest airports in the United States,** John F. Kennedy International in New York, grew by 14.25 percent for January-February 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, while the overall passenger traffic volume for the top 10 busiest airports in the United States on average was slightly down.  The other top 10 U.S. airports and their volume change include: San Francisco International (+0.44%), Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (-1.12%), Los Angeles International (-1.17%), Houston George Bush Intercontinental (-1.54%), Denver International (-2.29%), Las Vegas McCarran International (-2.76%), Chicago O’Hare International (-3.13%), Phoenix Sky Harbor International (-3.65%), and Dallas-Fort Worth International (-5.56%). 

Based on issued tickets, passenger traffic from the United States to Ireland leading up to St. Patrick’s Day is expected to increase 109 percent this month over February, before leveling off in April. U.S.-to-Ireland-bound passengers totaled 13,368 in February, with an anticipated March total of 27,929, and an April total of 15,083.