GLOBAL passenger traffic for January 2014 showed a strong increase in demand, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
January’s international passenger demand rose 7.8 per cent year-on-year, with airlines in all regions recording growth and the strongest gains in the Middle East. Capacity rose 6.8 per cent and load factor climbed 0.7 percentage points to 78.3 per cent.
Asia-Pacific carriers’ year-on-year eight per cent traffic increase is partly distorted by the timing of the Lunar New Year in January, a month earlier than in 2013. Comparisons with December 2013’s traffic suggest a continuation of the slower growth seen toward end-2013, likely in line with a slowdown in the Chinese economy. Capacity climbed 7.5 per cent year-on-year, while load factor rose 0.4 percentage points to 78.2 per cent.
With regards to domestic passenger markets, demand rose 8.2 per cent in January year-on-year, with several markets reporting double-digit growth. Total domestic capacity was up 6.5 per cent, and load factor rose 1.2 percentage points to 77.7 per cent.
Domestic traffic expanded at double-digit rates in China, Japan and Russia. China recorded 20.1 per cent growth, easily the highest for any market, while Brazil’s airlines posted the highest load factor of 81.5 per cent.
While the air traffic growth is “in line with generally positive economic indicators”, IATA director general and CEO, Tony Tyler, nevertheless cautions: “Aviation remains highly vulnerable to external shocks. Rising geopolitical tensions around the world have the potential to cast shadows on this optimistic outlook.”
