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Europe’s airlines continue to suffer after terror attacks
European airlines are still suffering from the impact of recent terror attacks in France and Belgium, according to figures from the International Air Transport Association.
Traffic grew 4.1% in July, which was less than in all other world regions. Overall, international passenger numbers were up 7.1% compared with July 2015.
"Demand has been affected by the recent terrorist attacks as well as political instability in parts of the region," said IATA.
Traffic has grown at just 1.4% since March it said, although capacity is up 4.7%, causing the average load factor to dip 0.5 percentage points to 86.7%, which is still the highest in the world.
Long-haul travel to Europe was down following the terror attacks, said IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.
Middle East carriers posted the strongest growth in July, with a 13.1% year-over-year increase. Capacity rose 15.5%, causing the load factor to drop 1.7 percentage points to 78.6%.
De Juniac said international passenger demand had grown broadly in line with the average of the past 10 years, but he added: "The industry faces some potential headwinds, including lingering impacts from the series of terrorist attacks and the fragile economic backdrop.
"The environment in which aviation operates is dynamic – even volatile. Speed is of the essence. As an industry we must be prepared for rapid innovation in order to manage shocks and take advantage of opportunities as they arise."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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