International air passenger traffic jumped 5.6 per cent in September compared to the same month last year and was stronger than the 4.6 per cent year-on-year growth recorded in August.

However, air freight on the other hand posted a 2.7 per cent contraction for September compared to September 2010. This is a further deterioration from the 2.4 per cent decline recorded in August, said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

“September’s strength in passenger demand was a pleasant surprise. Freight demand contracted for a fifth consecutive month and this trend is in line with falling business and consumer confidence. We are still expecting a general weakening in passenger traffic as we head towards the year-end,” said Tony Tyler, Iata’s director general and CEO.

International air travel volumes rebounded to levels reached in July, following a dip in August. The sharp decline in business confidence in most economies, and the weakness in US and European consumer confidence, suggest reluctance for both business and leisure travel.
Continuing strong air travel markets may reflect the robust conditions in emerging markets and travel booked earlier in the year when there was more economic optimism, Iata said.

Passenger load factors stood at 79.5 per cent in September, slightly below the 80.1 per cent recorded for the same month last year.

Traffic carried by Middle East carriers rose by 9.1 per cent, ahead of a capacity increase of 8.5 per cent.

India led the way with 18.4 per cent growth, although slightly below the 20.1 per cent increase in capacity. This was followed by China at 9.7 per cent (more robust than the 8.1 per cent increase in capacity) and Brazil where a 7.5 per cent increase in demand was well below the 14.6 per cent increase in capacity. - TradeArabia News Service