Global air passenger traffic up 5.4% in February

Singapore

IN line with the stronger economic growth this year, global passenger traffic expanded 5.4 per cent year on year in February, though it eased from the 8.2 per cent growth in January. Meanwhile, capacity, measured in available-seat-kilometres, grew by 5.2 per cent, nudging passenger load factor up to 78.1 per cent.

For the first two months of this year, passenger traffic, measured in revenue-passenger-kilometres, was up 6.9 per cent, surpassing the 5.2 per cent in the same period last year, figures released by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) yesterday showed. "People are flying. Strong demand is consistent with the pick-up in global economic growth, particularly in advanced economies," said Iata director-general Tony Tyler.