The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for May showing strong demand growth compared to May 2014 for both domestic and international traffic. “Domestic travel demand rose 6.6 per cent in May compared to May 2014, with the strongest growth occurring in India and China. Domestic capacity was up 6.2 per cent, and load factor improved 0.3 percentage points to 81 per centage,” IATA said. According to IATA, India’s domestic demand accelerated 18.2 per cent in May compared to May 2014 likely owing to market stimulation by local carriers as well as notable improvements in economic growth.
“May results confirm that demand for connectivity remains robust, but there are possible storm clouds forming on the horizon. The financial crisis in Greece and recent weakness in regional trade activity in Asia-Pacific have the potential to dampen performance in these markets in the coming months” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
Even, May international passenger demand rose 7.1 per cent compared to May 2014, with airlines in all regions except Africa recording growth. Total capacity climbed 6.7 per cent, pushing load factor up 0.3 percentage points to 78.4 per cent.