Passenger traffic at US's Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport decreased 8.2 percent in August, the Metropolitan Airports Commission reported Thursday.

In August, 3.16 million revenue-producing passengers passed through the region's main airport -- either embarking on trips, returning from them or transferring through the facility. That number compares to 3.44 million passengers in August 2005.

Major airlines traffic, which is dominated by Eagan-based Northwest Airlines Corp. transported the largest number of people -- just more than 2.7 million. But that category also saw the biggest decline, with a drop of 10.3 percent in passengers from a year ago.

Northwest, which is operating in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has been cutting back on its flight schedule to lower costs. The company earlier this month said that its revenue-passenger traffic was down 6.2 percent in August, though since it's making fewer flights its planes are fuller.

For the first eight months of 2006, revenue-passenger traffic was down 7.8 percent, to 23.6 million passengers from 25.6 passengers in the first eight months of 2005.