While more and more passengers are travelling by air globally, it seems that the impending Euro zone crisis could affect European air traffic, according to the April 2012 global traffic results from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), an international industry association of airlines that is headquartered in Canada.
While global passenger traffic has increased by 6.1 percent in April 2012, with a capacity increase of 3.8 percent, European airlines only registered a passenger demand increase of 5.9 percent for April, despite the fact that the period included the Easter holidays. The load factor is at a record level of 79.3 percent globally, while in Europe it’s at 80.3 percent.
Tony Tyler, the IATA director general and chief executive officer, said, ‘It’s a volatile and risky world. Airlines are being cautious managing through the uncertainty. Overall passenger demand was up 6.1 percent in April and capacity increases were held back to 3.8 percent.
There are signs that cargo has bottomed out. Amid the many distortions that have marked the first four months of the year, it is possible to identify the start of a growth trend in cargo for some parts of the world. But economic uncertainty in Europe makes it very difficult to be optimistic in the near to medium-term.’
Asia-Pacific airlines have reported a growth of 9.3 percent against a capacity expansion of 4.6 percent, and load factors at 78.1 percent for April 2012.
North American airlines reported that passenger demand expanded by 1.6 percent in April, compared to the same period in 2011.
Middle East airlines have announced a 16.0 percent increase in passenger demand for April 2012, against a 12.7 percent capacity expansion and load factor of 78.3 percent.
