Global air passenger traffic rebounds in February

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Global air passenger traffic rebounded in February after slower demand in January, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday.

"Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) for the month rose 7.6 percent, compared to February 2017, up from 4.6 percent year-over-year growth in January," it said.

The data revealed that monthly capacity, measuring an airline's total passenger capacity in kilometers, also expanded 6.3 percent in February.

Passenger load factor or seat occupancy rose 0.9 percentage points to 80.4 percent in the month, surpassing the previous record for the month of 79.5 percent in February 2017.

Alexandre de Juniac, the association’s CEO, said the February figure was supported by a robust economic backdrop and solid business confidence.

"However, increases in fuel prices -- and labor costs in some countries -- likely will temper the amount of traffic stimulation from lower airfares this year," Juniac said.

IATA data also showed that international demand also rose during the month, up 7.2 percent from February 2017.

"Led by airlines in Latin America, all regions recorded better year-on-year growth compared to January’s results," according to the IATA.