Demand and fares continue to rise for the nation’s airlines

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The nation’s airline industry continues to rebound from the Great Recession with federal reports showing airline traffic and airfares on the rise.

The average domestic airfare in the U.S. rose to $370 in April, May and June, up 8.5% from the same period in 2010, according to a report Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The $370 fare--not adjusted for inflation--is also 6.5% above the previous second-quarter high of $347 in 2008, according to the bureau.

During the recession, the average fare in the same three-month period dropped to a low of $302 in 2009.

Meanwhile, the nation’s airlines also reported carrying 551.8 million domestic and international passengers in the first nine months of the year, a 1.9% increase from the same period in 2010, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The total passenger numbers for the first nine months are the highest for that period since 2008, according to the bureau.

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Hugo Martin

(Photo: A Delta Air Lines staff member helps a passenger at Los Angeles International Airport. Credit: Los Angeles Times)