=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2003/09/10/f= inancial1605EDT0224.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, September 10, 2003 (AP) Airlines cancel flights on Sept. 11 due to lack of customers (09-10) 15:42 PDT (AP) -- Several major airlines are offering fewer flights on the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks as a result of weak demand. A few carriers, however, said Thursday's bookings are higher than a year ago, perhaps because the economy appears to be in better shape, the country is not on the verge of a military invasion and fears have diminished. OAG, a Chicago-based company that provides flight information, reported Wednesday that 7 percent of domestic flights have been cut for the anniversary, compared with a 12 percent cut for the day last year. "These findings suggest an increased confidence, both in the carriers who've made decisions not to reduce flights, as well as the consumers who continue to fly," said Joseph Laughlin, vice president of OAG data. American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and Lufthansa Airlines each said Wednesday that they plan to reduce flying. Continental said it plans to cancel 13 of its roughly 2,200 scheduled daily flights on Thursday, all departing from Newark International Airport. Newark was the departure point for United Flight 93, the San Francisco-bound jetliner that crashed in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2001. Spokesmen for American and United said the carriers would reduce the number of flights on certain routes, although not as much as last year. They would not provide further details. Lufthansa, Germany's largest airline, canceled four Sept. 11 flights to the United States. "We think it's because it's not a day where people go on business trips and have business meetings," spokeswoman Katrin Haase. "It's more of a memorial day." The airline still has 24 flights scheduled to the United States. Delta Air Lines and US Airways said bookings were higher this year on Sept. 11 than on the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks. OAG said flight schedules have increased by 3 percent in the past year. =20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003 AP