Joe Brancatelli at Portfolio.com runs down recently released 2009 data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Some of the highlights:

1. 769.6 million people flew last year, 5.3% less than in 2008.
2. Southwest Airlines carried more passengers than any other U.S. carrier (101.3 million) for the third straight year.
3. Regional airlines operate half of the flights in the U.S.
4. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was the nation's busiest (42.1 million passengers), about 11 million more than Chicago's O'Hare International

http://www.portfolio.com/business-tr...vors-southwest