Middle East passenger demand up 16.5%

The Middle East once again topped the global passenger demand in November having recorded a 16.5 per cent growth for the month over November 2008, said statistics by International Air Transport Association (Iata).

Continuing the trend of record double-digit growth for the whole year, the region's airlines also recorded the highest year-to-date (January-November 2009) passenger demand growth of 10.4 per cent over the same period a year earlier.

Global air traffic demand, meanwhile, was up 2.1 per cent from November 2008 while freight demand gained 9.5 per cent, according to Iata. But the aviation trade body said passenger demand was still six per cent below peak levels posted in early 2008 while freight demand was 10 per cent from highs recorded a year ago.

While passenger demand growth was most marked for Middle Eastern carriers in November, Latin American airlines recorded an 8.2 per cent increase and Asia-Pacific carriers a 5.1 per cent rise. European and North American carriers both, however, experienced a three per cent fall in November traffic.

Overall, Asia fuelled the growth of global passenger demand in November owing to the economic recovery in the region, Iata figures reveal. Asia-Pacific carriers reported a rise of 14.5 per cent.

"The Middle East growth of 16.5 per cent can also be related to the strength of Asia and the ability of Middle East carriers to facilitate connection traffic to the region through regional hubs," Iata said in a statement.

But while demand largely continues to improve, the global aviation industry still has a lot of ground still to recover, according to Giovanni Bisignani, Iata's Director-General and CEO. "We cannot anticipate any significant improvement in yields in the coming months. So, conserving cash, controlling costs and carefully matching capacity to demand remain as the keys to survival," he said.

Iata said earlier this month that the Middle Eastern carriers would see looses shrinking to $300 million (Dh1.1 billion) in 2010, as it revealed its financial forecast for the coming year. The region would close this year, however, with a $1.2bn loss.

On the Middle East airlines' performance, Bisignani told Emirates Business: "The Middle East has been a great example of an area of the world that is very quickly developing and becoming a major player of the world."

The Middle Eastern carriers are projected to record a 23 per cent increase in seat capacity within the region for December over the same month last year, besides a 19 per cent increase in the number of flights, said OAG (Official Airline Guide), a UK-based global flight information and data solutions firm.


CARGO DEMAND

The Middle East also recorded the highest growth in air cargo traffic at 21.4 per cent in November this year as against the same month last year, Iata said.

Carriers in other regions also saw strong growth in freight with Africa recording 8.1 per cent growth, Latin America 17.5 per cent, and North America 13.6 per cent. European carriers were the only ones to post a drop in cargo traffic, recording a 5.6 per cent fall in demand.

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