Middle East passenger traffic up 17.5pct in May

Middle Eastern airlines saw the second-highest growth globally in passenger traffic year-on-year in May, up 17.5 per cent, benefiting from connecting flights, the international air traffic body said on Tuesday.

"The region's carriers continue to post strong growth, with connecting traffic through their hubs, although the pace of growth has dropped from the over 20 per cent increases recorded earlier in the year," The International Air Transport Association (Iata) said in a statement.

Latin America's airlines saw the fastest growth at 23.6 per cent.

The bulk of Middle Eastern traffic is generated through Gulf Arab states, with airlines including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.

European carriers posted the lowest growth of 8.3 per cent in passenger traffic in May, Asia-Pacific carriers saw a 13.2 per cent rise, while North America's grew 10.9 and African carriers saw demand increase by 16.9 per cent.

Air freight growth for Middle Eastern airlines stood at 38.6 per cent for May, Iata said.

Gulf Arab countries are expected to enjoy higher growth rates in 2010 than previously expected, helped by a global recovery, despite debt woes in the United Arab Emirates weighing on the outlook, a Reuters poll in January showed.

Dubai government-owned Emirates, the Arab world's largest carrier by fleet size, said in May it targeted a 20 per cent rise in group profit for financial year 2010-11 and expected passenger and cargo volumes to grow.

Emirates, the largest customer for the Airbus A380 aircraft, is eyeing further expansions as it aims to place new plane orders at the Farnborough Airshow in July, following a record $11 billion deal for 32 superjumbos with Airbus in June.