Global air traffic falls 0.8% as Middle East slumps
Global air traffic falls 0.8% in August compared with a year earlier: demand for Middle East airlines drops 14.6%, ending months of growth. Figures from the International Air Transport Association, reported from Madrid on 30 September, show how the region pulls down the worldwide total.
Demand for international flights falls 0.9% globally. Without the Middle East, it rises 1.3%. Domestic demand also slips, by 0.5%.
The picture varies sharply by region. Europe records 2.1% growth, while Latin America and the Caribbean lead with 5.3%. North American demand falls 2.2%.
What happens next is less clear. Marie Owens, the association’s chief economist, says the coming months will show whether higher energy prices and geopolitical instability deter people from flying. For October, forecasts point to a 2% increase in available seats.
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Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com