SWITZERLAND. Airline passenger numbers rose +5.8% in the first ten months of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005, and Middle Eastern airlines showed the strongest growth in passenger traffic of any region, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Middle East regional growth was +12.9% for October and +14.4% for the first ten months of the year – matching the growth in capacity.
North American carriers saw a +6.7% increase in demand for October, slightly higher than the +6.5% increase in capacity. Over the first ten months of the year, North American demand increased by +5.6% while capacity expansion was +4.8%. Europe and Asia Pacific saw similar ten-month demand growth of +5.2% with capacity expansion of +4.4% and +2.8% respectively.
The average passenger load factor for October remained strong at 74.9% representing the 18th consecutive month of year-on-year load factor increases. European airlines saw the highest levels in October (77.2%) closely followed by North American airlines (77.1%). In the Middle East load factors fell to 69.2%, 2.5 points lower than in October 2005, as capacity growth outstripped demand.
“Higher passenger load factors are just one of the drivers behind the improving performance of the industry,” said IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani. “With ten-month growth at +5.8% outstripping capacity expansion of +4.5%, oil prices -20% below the August peak, and steady progress on Simplifying the Business and other efficiency measures, the industry is set to end 2006 on the most positive note since 2000,” he said.
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