INTERNATIONAL. The “downward spiral” for passenger traffic eased, but remained negative in October, Airports Council International (ACI) announced yesterday.
International traffic growth was down by a milder -1.4% year-on-year (compared with -2.7% in September), whereas global traffic remained depressed at -3.4% (-4.2% in September) due to poor domestic results worldwide, ACI said.
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Source: Airports Council International |
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Source: Airports Council International |
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Source: Airports Council International |
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Source: Airports Council International |
Domestic passenger numbers fell by an average -5.0% (-5.4% in September). Total traffic growth (domestic and international) in the first ten months of the year slipped -0.6% year-on-year while international traffic rose by +3.0% for the period.
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“The few positive international results are likely to be compromised in the next months by the tragic events in Mumbai and the siege of the airports in Bangkok, dragging down the Asia Pacific region’s performance“ |
Andreas Schimm Director of Economics Airports Council International |
ACI Director of Economics Andreas Schimm commented: “The outlook for the immediate future remains bleak. The few positive international results are likely to be compromised in the next months by the tragic events in Mumbai and the siege of the airports in Bangkok, dragging down the Asia Pacific region’s performance.
“The world’s major economies have gone into recession with repercussions on the economies of emerging countries, trade and employment. Against this complex background, signs of a sustainable recovery will be a long time coming.”
REGIONAL BRIGHT SPOTS
Bright spots in October included strong international passenger results in Africa (+7%) and the Middle East (+15%).
The holy month of Ramadan accounted in part for the milder increase in September in the Middle East, which is now back on track, bolstered by double-digit increases in the Gulf airports and Lebanon.
In Asia Pacific domestic traffic grew by +1% as a strong rebound within China helped compensate for the continued declines in India. A solid increase in international passengers in India and Beijing could not arrest the overall downward trend in the region of -3.0%.
Traffic in the Latin America/Caribbean region dropped considerably, both for international (-2%) and domestic traffic (-9%). Europe posted a decline of -4%, the combined result of falling domestic (-9 %) and international (-3%) traffic. Overall traffic was down -6.0% in North America, as a result of similar domestic (-7%) and international (-3%) performances.
FOOTNOTE: The economic impacts of the crisis on the airport industry will be a central topic at ACI’s first Airport Economics and Finance Conference in London on 10 and 11 February 2009. Contact Nancy Gautier (ngautier@aci.aero) for further information.
Additionally, and as reported, ACI and The Moodie Report are organising the airport sector’s key commercial revenues conference, The ACI Airport Business & Trinity Forum, in Macau on 23-25 September. The event being hosted by CAM – Macau International Airport Company Limited. For details contact Martin Moodie at Martin@TheMoodieReport.com or Andreas Schimm at aschimm@aci.aero
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