INTERNATIONAL. Global airline travel grew by a robust +5.9% in 2014 compared to 2013, ahead of the industry’s ten-year average growth rate of +5.6%. The figure was also ahead of the +5.2% growth seen in 2013 compared to 2012. That’s according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IATA noted: “Economic conditions around the world showed considerable variation throughout 2014, but the demand backdrop for air travel was supportive, particularly in emerging markets.”
More than half of the growth in passenger travel took place on airlines in emerging markets, including Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Middle Eastern carriers benefited from solid trade growth which supported expansion in business-related international air travel (which posted a +13% year-on-year rise). Asia Pacific carriers saw strong growth in domestic air travel demand, particularly in China toward the end of 2014, noted the association. Domestic travel in China grew by +11% year-on-year.
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International growth (measured in revenue passenger kilometres) climbed by +6.1% though this was just below the long-term average of +6.3%.
The biggest downward influences (on international traffic) over the year were among African and Asian carriers, offset by the performances of Middle Eastern and European carriers, despite the latter region’s ongoing economic frailties. Although the Eurozone has fallen back toward very weak economic expansion, partly as a result of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, carriers in some nations, including Turkey, continue to expand strongly, IATA added.
The decline in oil prices over recent months should help support economic activity and passenger demand in the months to come, it said. However, IATA noted that a gradual easing in business confidence over the final third of 2014 “has weighed on international travel, and may constrain the pace of expansion in the near term”.
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IATA Director General and CEO Tony Tyler said: “Demand for the passenger business did well in 2014. With a +5.9% expansion of demand, the industry out-performed the ten-year average growth rate. Carriers in the Middle East posted double-digit growth while results in Africa were barely above previous-year levels. Overall a record 3.3 billion passengers boarded aircraft last year-some 170 million more than in 2013. While it is clear that people will continue to travel in growing numbers, there have been signs in recent months that softening business confidence is translating into a levelling off of international travel demand.”
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