The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released traffic results for May that showed 5.5 percent growth in year-on-year international passenger demand.
Growth in freight demand rose to 5.0 percent (up sharply from 2.8 percent in April). This was the largest increase since September 2006. Average load factors remained strong at 73.7 percent, up 0.1 percent year-on-year.
"The pick-up in freight, led by Asia, could be the first sign of strengthening demand," according to Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
"Over the next months, we will be closely watching the impact of several changing conditions, including intensifying competition from other modes of transport and structural changes such as manufacturers producing lighter goods," he explained.
"On the passenger side, growth has stabilized while strong competition is keeping load factors high even as carriers aggressively expand international routes to take advantage of some liberalizing markets," Bisignani added.
Airlines in the Middle East saw the strongest passenger demand growth in May with a 19.6 percent increase that also boosted load factors to 70.8 percent.
African airlines recorded demand growth of 11.2 percent, driven by improved regional economic performance and growing links with Asia and the Middle East. Latin American airlines showed the first demand growth in a year with a 4.2 percent increase, following airline restructuring.
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