People taking to skies

The number of people flying in the US should reach pre-9-11 levels next year, according to the latest forecast from the Federal Aviation Authority. The FAA also said in its report: • Low-cost carriers and regional airlines will account for nearly half of the US airline market by 2015. • While major carriers can expect to grow at a rate of 3.6% over the next two years, regional counterparts will grow by 6.4%, says the FAA. • The number of people flying in the US by 2014 should top one billion annually. One ongoing trend noted by DOT Secretary Norman Mineta is that passengers are using different airlines and different airports than in the past. That may help alleviate traffic congestion. He also said, however, that rising fuel and security costs could affect the forecast.