Divergent Trends - September Passenger Traffic Rises but Freight Declines

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced traffic results for September showing diverging trends for cargo and passenger traffic. Passenger traffic was 5.6% higher than the same month last year and stronger than the 4.6% year-on-year growth recorded in August. Air freight on the other hand posted a 2.7% contraction for September compared to September 2010. This is a further deterioration from the 2.4% decline recorded in August.

“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.

Sept 2011 vs. Sept 2010	RPK Growth	ASK Growth	PLF	FTK Growth	AFTK Growth
International	6.6%	7.5%	79.5	-3.0%	2.5%
Domestic	3.8%	2.8%	78.8	-0.7%	2.0%
Total Traffic	5.6%	5.8%	79.2	-2.7%	2.4%

YTD 2011 vs. YTD 2010	RPK Growth	ASK Growth	PLF	FTK Growth	AFTK Growth
International	7.5%	8.7%	77.9	0.4%	6.1%
Domestic	4.4%	3.1%	79.3	-1.9%	0.4%
Total Traffic	6.3%	6.6%	78.4	0.1%	4.8%

International Passenger Markets

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.

• Passenger load factors stood at 79.5% in September, slightly below the 80.1% recorded for the same month last year. Highest load factors were recorded in North America (82.6%) and Europe (82.4%). The load factor for Asia-Pacific airlines slipped to 76.0% as the region absorbs the largest number of new aircraft deliveries.
• Latin America carriers reported the largest increase in demand at 10.6% (up from a 6.4% increase in August), supported by robust economic conditions.
• European carriers saw a 9.2% increase, slightly behind the 9.5% increase in capacity. This comes despite the continuing Eurozone crisis. The weak Euro is enhancing Europe’s attractiveness to tourists and creating export opportunities for business.
• Traffic carried by Middle East carriers rose by 9.1%, ahead of a capacity increase of 8.5%--a step change from the 15% capacity increases seen in recent years.
• Asia-Pacific carriers saw a 4.3% increase in demand, well below the 6.3% increase in capacity. Despite strong domestic growth in India and China, growth rates for international markets slowed.
• North American carriers recorded a 1.2% increase in demand, the weakest among the regions. It lagged behind a 2.9% increase in capacity.
• African carriers experienced a 5.0% increase in demand, closely matching the 5.2% increase in capacity.

Lire la suite : http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2011-10-31-01.aspx

Source : IATA