Sunday, September 28, 2025
24.9 C
Lagos

African Airlines Record 7.4% Passenger Growth in Qtr 2

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for July, showing acceleration in demand growth over the previous five months.

Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose 5.9%, compared to the same month last year, with all regions reporting growth. Monthly capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 6.0%, and load factor was 83.7% – just 0.1 percentage point below the record July high achieved in 2015.

“July saw demand strengthen, after a softening in June. Demand was stimulated by lower fares which, in turn, were supported by lower oil prices. And near record high load factors demonstrate that people want to travel. But, there are some important sub-plots to the narrative of strong demand. Long-haul travel to Europe, for example, suffered in the aftermath of a spate of terrorist attacks. And the mature domestic markets are seeing demand growth stall while Brazil and Russia contract,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director-General and CEO.

July 2016 
(% year-on-year)
World share¹

RPK

ASK

PLF 
(%-pt)²         
PLF 
(level)³  
Total Market 100.0% 5.9% 6.0% -0.1% 83.7%
Africa 2.2% 6.8% 5.3% 1.1% 72.7%
Asia Pacific 31.5% 9.6% 8.2% 1.0% 81.2%
Europe 26.7% 3.4% 3.6% -0.2% 86.5%
Latin America 5.4% 2.9% 0.5% 2.0% 85.1%
Middle East 9.4% 12.5% 15.1% -1.9% 78.6%
North America 24.7% 2.8% 3.8% -0.9% 86.7%

International Passenger Markets
July international passenger demand rose 7.1% compared to July 2015, which was an increase over the 5.0% yearly increase in June. Airlines in all regions recorded growth. Total capacity climbed 7.3%, causing load factor to slip 0.2% percentage points to 83.5%.

Middle East carriers posted the strongest growth in July, with a 13.1% year-over-year increase; demand had dipped in June owing to the timing of Ramadan. Capacity rose 15.5%, causing load factor to drop 1.7 percentage points to 78.6%.

Asia-Pacific airlines’ July traffic rose 9.8% compared to the year-ago period. Capacity increased 8.6% and load factor climbed 0.9 percentage points to 81.7%. Reports suggest that Asian passengers are putting off traveling to Europe in favor of regional trips owing to terrorism fears: while traffic on Asia-Europe routes fell by 0.9% in June, international traffic within Asia rose 8.1%, which was a four-month high.

European carriers saw July demand increased by 4.1% compared to a year ago, which was the slowest among the regions. Demand has been affected by the recent terrorist attacks as well as political instability in parts of the region: traffic has grown at an annualized rate of just 1.4% since March. Capacity climbed 4.7% and load factor dipped 0.5 percentage points to 86.7%, which was still the highest among regions.

North American airlines’ traffic climbed 4.8%, while capacity rose 5.1% with the result that load factor fell 0.3 percentage points to 86.1%. Seasonally adjusted volumes have risen at an annualized rate of more than 8% since March helped by transpacific and leisure traffic to Central America and the Caribbean.

Latin American airlines’ demand rose 7.5% compared to July 2015 as the upward trend in traffic resumed following a soft patch in the first quarter of 2016. Capacity increased by 4.2%, boosting load factor 2.6 percentage points to 85.3%.

African airlines experienced a 7.4% increase in traffic compared to a year ago but this relates mainly to the strong upward trend in seasonally-adjusted traffic during the second half of 2015. Capacity rose 5.9%, and load factor climbed 1.0 percentage point to 72.4%, lowest among regions.

spot_img
spot_img

Hot this week

AIICO Deepens Bond with Retirees, Holds Annuity Forum in Lagos, PH

Mr. Gbenga Ilori, Head, Retail Business at AIICO, in...

Sovereign Trust Insurance Holds 30th AGM

L-R: Eric Balogun, Independent Director, Emi Faloughi, Director, Kayode Adigun,...

Unity Bank Shareholders Approve Merger with Providus Bank

  EGM: From left: Mr. Usman Abdulkadir, Executive Director, Risk...

NNPCL: Ogoni Re-entry is a Beacon of Reconciliation through Collaboration

The re-entry into Ogoniland marks a historic turning point...

NLNG, NCDMB Celebrate 122 Graduates of Train 7 HCD Training Program

NLNG in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Development and...

Topics

FCMB May Shut 36 Branches to Save Cost

There are growing indications that First City Monument Bank...

The Nation Newspaper’s Insurance, Pension Editor, Omobola Tolu_kusimo, Loses Father

The father of The Nation Newspaper’s Insurance and Pension...

COMESA, Microsoft Promote Access, Skills, Innovation in 19 African Countries

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) through the COMESA Business Council (CBC) and Microsoft have taken a step toward strengthening their working alliance by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which sets out how they will collaborate in the areas of access to technology, development of relevant skills and the fostering of innovation in COMESA’s 19 member States.

Linkage Assurance: N1.4bn Profit, N1.4bn Claims Paid in H1, 2022

Daniel Braie Managing Director/CEO Linkage Assurance Plc Linkage Assurance Plc has beaten...

Sovereign Trust Insurance: N16.3bn Assets, N13bn Premium, N4bn Claims in 2021

Olaotan Soyinka Managing Director/CEO Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc...

AMCON, Customs, FMOF on Buhari’s 1st Term Record

R-L: Dr. Eberechukwu Uneze, Executive Director, Asset Management Corporation...

Moniepoint Strengthens Efforts to Broaden Financial Access Through Collaborative Initiatives

Africa’s fastest growing financial institution according to the Financial...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img