Global passenger data for January shows that air traffic is already off to a record start this year, rising 6.5 percent compared to the same month in 2018.
That increase represents the fastest growth in six months, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
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“2019 has started on a positive note, with healthy passenger demand in line with the 10-year trend line,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO.
However, de Juniac added that market signals are mixed, with indications of weakening business confidence in developed economies and a more nuanced picture across the developing world.
International Passenger Markets
International passenger demand rose six percent in January compared to the same month last year, according to the newly released IATA data. That figure is an increase over December, a month which saw a 5.3 percent rise year-over-year.
All regions around the world recorded growth, led by Europe for a fourth consecutive month, said IATA. European carriers’ international traffic climbed 7.7 percent in January compared to the year-ago period, down from an 8.6 percent annual increase in December.
“This moderation likely reflects uncertainty over the region’s economic situation, including lack of clarity over Brexit,” said IATA.
Asia-Pacific carriers also recorded a demand increase of 7.1 percent compared to January 2018, which puts them solidly above the five percent growth in December. The healthy regional growth is being underpinned by rising incomes and an increase in the number of airport pairs, according to IATA.
The weakest growth was recorded in the Middle East where demand increased just 1.5 percent compared to January 2018.
“Nevertheless, this still was improved over a 0.1 percent drop in traffic in December,” said IATA. “It’s premature to say whether this improvement represents a trend.”
In North America meanwhile, airlines experienced a 4.7 percent traffic rise over one year ago. That’s an improvement from the 3.7 percent annual rise for December.
“Demand is being supported by comparatively strong economic conditions, which have delivered a low unemployment rate and bolstered consumer spending,” IATA continued.
Latin American airline traffic is also seeing upward momentum to start the year. Traffic there climbed 5.8 percent in January compared to January 2018. However, that figure represents a slight softening compared to December growth of 6.1 percent.
“Signs are that passenger volumes have accelerated a little in recent months in seasonally-adjusted terms,” said IATA.
The air traffic boom is also being witnessed in Africa, where airlines saw January traffic rise 5.1 percent, up from 3.8 percent in December. However, IATA said concerns continue about the region’s largest economies, South Africa and Nigeria.
Domestic Passenger Markets
There’s also good news on the domestic front, according to IATA’s latest round of data. Traffic climbed 7.3 percent in January, year-on-year, the fastest pace since August and up from 5.6 percent growth in December.
All markets showed growth, with China, India, and Russia posting double-digit annual increases, according to IATA.
“Aviation is the business of freedom, liberating us from the constraints of geography and distance, but to be effective we require borders that are open to the movement of people and goods,” said de Juniac in a statement. “We welcome the latest EU proposals to adopt a common-sense approach to maintaining and enabling the connectivity between the UK and the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. But this is just a temporary solution and with Brexit still set for March 29, we urge both sides to agree a comprehensive Brexit package that will ensure the seamless air connectivity travelers expect.”
