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News
Continued Traffic Improvement
-But
much ground still to be recovered-
Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
reported international scheduled traffic results for November 2009. Passenger
demand was up by 2.1% compared to November 2008 while freight demand recorded a
9.5% improvement. Passenger load factors remain at pre-crisis levels of 75.4%
while freight load factors stood at 56.6%.
The improvement trends for both passenger and freight are being exaggerated by the sharp fall in demand
experienced during the second half of 2008. The following alternative
measurements provide perspective:
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Passenger demand is 6.4% better than the low point reached in the first quarter of 2009, but
still 6% below the peak levels seen in early 2008. Comparing to October (and
adjusting for seasonality), passenger demand in November actually fell by 0.7%,
primarily due to continued weakness in North America and Europe.
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Freight demand is 20% better than the low point in December 2008, but still 10% below the peak
levels seen in early 2008. Comparing to October (and adjusting for seasonality),
freight demand grew by 4.7%, largely on the strength of markets connected to
Asia Pacific.
“Demand continues to improve, but we still have a lot of ground still to recover. We cannot anticipate any
significant improvement in yields in the coming months. So, conserving cash,
controlling costs and carefully matching capacity to demand remain at the keys
to survival,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
International Passenger Demand
Improvements in passenger demand contain significant variances by region.
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In November, demand growth was recorded by carriers from
Asia-Pacific
(+5.1%),
Latin America
(+8.2%) and the
Middle East
(+16.5%). Asian traffic growth is driven most directly by
economic recovery (with the exception of Japan). Asian economic growth is
fuelling strong demand for commodities in both Latin America and
Africa.
While Latin American carriers are benefitting with business growth, a 2.1% fall
in African traffic indicates a loss in market share. Middle East growth of 16.5%
can also be related to the strength of Asia and the ability of Middle East
carriers to facilitate connection traffic to the region through Middle Eastern
hubs.
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European and
North
American carriers both experienced a 3.0% fall in November
traffic. Unemployment concerns continue to negatively impact consumer confidence
in both markets. Compared to last November, European carriers have cut capacity
by 3.9% and North American carriers by 6.7%. While this has boosted load
factors, capacity adjustments may also be weighing on growth rates.
International Freight Demand
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The bulk of the air freight markets connect Asia. The 14.5% growth in freight demand for
Asia-Pacific’s carriers is linked to the success of stimulus packages in driving
industrial output and broader economic recovery within the region.
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Carriers in other regions also saw strong growth in freight as follows: Africa (+8.1%), Latin
America (+17.5%), Middle East (+21.4%) and North America (+13.6%).
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European carriers were the only group to post a drop in traffic, recording a 5.6% fall in
demand. This reflects the lingering economic malaise in the region.
View full November
traffic results
For more information, please contact:
Anthony Concil
Director Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org
Notes for Editors:
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IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of
scheduled international air traffic.
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Explanation of measurement terms:
RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometres measures actual passenger traffic
ASK: Available Seat Kilometres measures available passenger capacity
PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used. In comparison of 2009 to 2008, PLF
indicates point differential between the periods compared
FTK: Freight Tonne Kilometres measures actual freight traffic
AFTK: Available Freight Tonne Kilometres measures available total freight
capacity
FLF: Freight Load Factor is % of AFTKs used
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IATA statistics cover international scheduled air traffic; domestic traffic is not included.
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All figures are provisional and represent total reporting at time of publication plus estimates
for missing data. Historic figures may be revised.
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International passenger traffic market shares by region in terms of RPK are: Europe 34.9%,
Asia-Pacific 29.6%, North America 17.8%, Middle East 11.4%, Latin America 4.4%,
Africa 1.8%
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International freight traffic market shares by region in terms of FTK are: Asia-Pacific 44.6%,
Europe 25.5%, North America 16.6%, Middle East 10.2%, Latin America 2.2%, Africa
1.0%
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