A new forecast from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism shows this summer's airline seat squeeze is continuing, with the newest projection calling for a double-digit percentage drop in seats available on scheduled flights over the next three months.

The July-September seat outlook calls for the number of seats to fall 11.2 percent compared with last year, reflecting the loss of Aloha and ATA airlines flights in April, when the two carriers abruptly grounded flights and filed for bankruptcy. High fuel prices and slack Mainland and Japanese economies are also contributing to the shortfall in seats.

The forecast also estimates the number of seats from the Mainland will decline by a percentage similar to the overall decline, led by a 12.9 percent drop in what's available to travelers departing from airports in the U.S. west.

There also will be an 11.4 percent downturn in the number of seats on international flights. This includes a 16.6 percent fall in the number of seats on flights from Japan.

The state tracks the number of seats on scheduled flights because of tourism's importance to the economy. While visitor arrivals don't fall in lockstep with the number of seats available to tourists, they can be an indicator of whether arrivals will increase or decline. The actual number of seats available during the period will vary with changes in flight schedules.