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The number of domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines in January was down nearly 11% from January 2008, falling to 51.5 million, the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics announced Thursday.

January marked the 11th consecutive month with a decrease in passengers on U.S. airlines. According to the preliminary data, U.S. airlines carried 10.9% fewer passengers than in January 2008, with 11.5% fewer domestic passengers and 7.2% fewer international passengers compared to year-ago levels.

The first 2009 results show no break from a dismal 2008, when U.S. airlines posted the first year-over-year decline in passengers since 2002.

Domestic and international passenger levels continued to slide in January. U.S. airlines carried 44.5 million domestic passengers in January, down 11.5% from 50.3 million in January 2008, on 702,200 flights, down 11.6% from January 2008.

Domestic revenue passenger miles, a measure of the number of passengers and the distance flown, fell 11.6% in January. Domestic available seat-miles, a measure of airline capacity based on the number of seats and distance flown, was down 11.5%. Domestic passenger load factor, which shows passenger miles as a proportion of available seat-miles, was 72.8%, down 0.2 point from year-ago levels. Domestic flight stage length, the average non-stop distance flown per departure, was down 1.3% in January 2009, and domestic passenger trip length, the average distance flown per passenger, was down 0.1%.

Southwest Airlines (LUV) carried seven million domestic passengers in January 2009, the most of any airline, and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International was the busiest domestic airport, with 2.8 million domestic passengers boarding flights there in January.

U.S. airlines carried 6.9 million international passengers in January 2009, down 7.2% from year-ago levels. International revenue passenger miles were down 6.2% and international available seat-miles fell 2.1%. International passenger load factor was down 3.3 points to 73.3%. International flight stage length rose 4.4% and international passenger trip length was up 1.1%.

American Airlines carried 1.6 million international passengers in January 2009, the most of any U.S. airline, and Miami International was the busiest U.S. airport for international travel on U.S. carriers in January 2009, with 430,100 international passenger boardings.

January's results were compiled from monthly reports filed by 82 commercial U.S. air carriers with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Traffic data for February will be issued on May 14.

-By Judith Burns, Dow Jones Newswires, 202-862-6692; Judith.Burns@dowjones.com