The political turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East stifled growth in demand for scheduled flights in February, according to IATA’s latest figures.
The organisation said February’s traffic showed a 6% increase in passenger demand compared to February 2010 which is down significantly from the 8.4% growth recorded in January 2011.
IATA says the unrest is estimated to have cut international traffic by 1% and “as such, is responsible almost entirely for the slippage in passenger demand growth.”
IATA director general and chief executive officer Giovanni Bisignani said: “Another series of shocks is denting the industry’s recovery from the recession. As the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia spreads across the Middle East and North Africa, demand growth across the region is taking a step back.
“The tragic earthquake and its aftermath in Japan will most certainly see a further dampening of demand from March. The industry fundamentals are good. But extraordinary circumstances have made the first quarter of 2011 very difficult.”
Passenger load factors also fell in February, standing at 73% for the month, a 2.2 percentage points drop on peak levels as capacity additions have continued to exceed demand growth.
by Dinah Hatch
