International Air Travel Above Pre-Recession Levels

"The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released international traffic results for September today, reported that international passenger traffic had a 10.5% year-on-year increase which is significantly stronger than the 6.5% rise recorded for August. International freight traffic recorded a 14.8% year-on-year increase, which is significantly weaker than the 19.0% rise recorded in August.  The contrast between the performance of freight and passenger markets provides a mixed picture for industry performance. Seasonally adjusted figures show that, compared to the previous month (August), passenger traffic in September expanded by 2.1% while freight markets contracted by an equal 2.1%."

Other highlights include:

1.North American carriers saw their traffic climb back to pre-recession (early 2008) levels during the month with an 11.1% increase in passenger demand compared to the previous September.

2. European carriers experienced an 8.4% increase in demand over the previous year. The region is now 2% above pre-recession levels.

3. Asia-Pacific carriers posted an 8.6% traffic increase over the previous September. Traffic in the region remains 2% below the pre-crisis peak of early 2008.

4. Middle Eastern carriers led the industry growth with a 23.9% increase compared to 2009, and Latin American carriers posted the industry’s weakest growth at 6.6%.

5. African carriers reported a 16% growth in demand over the previous September. The region is now 7% higher than the pre-recession levels of early 2008.