Iata optimistic as air traffic grows 12pct in June

The global aviation industry is slowly taking off as passenger demand jumped by a significant 11.9 per cent while cargo traffic soared 26.5 per cent in June compared with the same period in 2009, according to the International Air Transport Association’s (Iata) latest figures.

While most of the regions worldwide managed to post double-digit gains in June, Europe – which was badly hit by six days of ash cloud-related flight disruptions in April – still experienced turbulence as it exhibited a lacklustre performance of 7.8 per cent, down from the 8.3 per cent traffic growth in May.

Giovanni Bisignani, Iata’s director general and CEO, said in a statement on Wednesday that the industry is recovering, “but with sharp regional differences.”

Despite the encouraging passenger statistics and the positive investor response during the recent Farnborough Air Show where over 400 aircraft orders were placed, Bisignani said they remain “cautiously optimistic” of growth in the travel sector.

According to Iata statistics, Middle East carriers have continued their impressive streak with an 18-per-cent increase in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) compared to June 2009 and slightly higher than the 17.5 per cent traffic growth in May.

Iata attributed this upbeat performance to the Middle East’s strong economy and its airlines’ ability to attract long-haul traffic through their respective regional hubs. Cargo demand also rose by a hefty 39.6 per cent.

In Asia-Pacific, China’s robust airline industry has helped lift the region to a 15.5-per-cent passenger traffic hike, up from 13.2 per cent in May. One of the world’s most monitored emerging economies, China is determined to make noise in the global aviation arena.

The Chinese civil aviation regulator in March reported that the country’s international passenger traffic jumped by a massive 59 per cent in February from a year ago. The country also plans to compete with aviation bigwigs Airbus and Boeing by producing their own commercial passenger jets, with initial focus on single-aisle models.

World Cup fever boosts Africa traffic

The recent Fifa World Cup in South Africa did not only put the global spotlight on Africa, it also dramatically lifted the region’s travel and tourism industry, says Iata. Passenger traffic jumped 21.3 per cent in June compared with the same period in 2009, and notably higher than the 16.9 per cent traffic recorded in May.

The month-long soccer tournament was a welcome treat to local and international carriers particularly during the last days of the championship. Dutch airline KLM, according to a Reuters report, had to add extra flights to South Africa for avid soccer fans who wanted to see the live match between their favoured orange team and the Spaniards. KLM website quoted fares at that time was a whopping €4,000 (Dh19,080) for an economy ticket.

Africa’s air cargo demand was also the fastest growing during the period at 54 per cent as against the figures posted in June last year, Iata mentioned.

Americas show positive signs

Passenger traffic figures in the Americas have also been encouraging, according to the air transport association’s latest report. Latin American carriers registered passenger demand growth of 14.7 per cent from June last year.

Although this figure was considerably lower than the 23.6 per cent posted in May, Iata said it “reflects a more normal growth rate” since the May results were heavily distorted by the A(H1N1) flu scare that hit the region’s tourism sector in May 2009.

North American carriers also stayed afloat with a 10.8 per cent increase in June, comparatively steady with the 10.9 per cent traffic growth seen in May.

“Strong growth and the industry-leading load factor of 86.6 per cent are contributing to strong second quarter financial results being announced by the [North American] region’s carriers,” Iata said.