ID :
117002
Fri, 04/16/2010 - 11:07
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/117002
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INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL INCREASES FURTHER IN FEBRUARY, SAYS IATA
KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- There was a further increase in
international air travel during February, reflecting the increasingly positive economic environment, the International Air Travel Association (IATA), said Thursday.
The number of passengers travelling on first and business class seats was up
5.9 per cent in February compared with the same month last year while numbers on
economy seats were up 6.9 per cent, the Geneva-based IATA said in a statement.
It said that these year-on-year numbers do indicate a strong upturn.
Since longer-haul markets are recovering faster than short-haul markets in,
that is, in Europe, international passenger kilometres flown rose at a much
faster rate of 9.5 per cent in February, compared to the rise in total
international passenger numbers of 6.8 per cent.
IAIA said although the upturn from the mid-2009 lows has been strong, where
premium travel rose 10 per cent from that point, air travel markets had still
not recovered to early 2008 levels by February this year.
Economy travel still has around 3.0 per cent to go, while premium travel is
still 16 per cent or so below previous highs, IATA said.
"Back in early 2009, when the premium travel market had shrunk by around one
quarter, the justifiable fear was that this was a structural, permanent loss.
However, as world trade growth returned so has premium travel," IATA said.
"There is still some way to go before premium travel recovers previous highs
but the decline looks to have been cyclical and we are now moving into the
upturn phase of the cycle."
Economy travel is often associated with leisure but increasingly this seat
class is driven by business travel, the association said.
Consumer confidence in the United States and Europe has been disappointingly
weak for several months.
Confidence in Asia is stronger but the pattern of economy travel has been
much more closely linked to drivers of business travel in the past two years.
Wide geographical differences persisted in February.
IATA said that the fastest growing markets continued to be within the Far
East and South America, together with route areas connected to the Middle East.
Growth on the important long-haul markets across the North Atlantic and
Pacific remained sluggish, it said.
-- BERNAMA
international air travel during February, reflecting the increasingly positive economic environment, the International Air Travel Association (IATA), said Thursday.
The number of passengers travelling on first and business class seats was up
5.9 per cent in February compared with the same month last year while numbers on
economy seats were up 6.9 per cent, the Geneva-based IATA said in a statement.
It said that these year-on-year numbers do indicate a strong upturn.
Since longer-haul markets are recovering faster than short-haul markets in,
that is, in Europe, international passenger kilometres flown rose at a much
faster rate of 9.5 per cent in February, compared to the rise in total
international passenger numbers of 6.8 per cent.
IAIA said although the upturn from the mid-2009 lows has been strong, where
premium travel rose 10 per cent from that point, air travel markets had still
not recovered to early 2008 levels by February this year.
Economy travel still has around 3.0 per cent to go, while premium travel is
still 16 per cent or so below previous highs, IATA said.
"Back in early 2009, when the premium travel market had shrunk by around one
quarter, the justifiable fear was that this was a structural, permanent loss.
However, as world trade growth returned so has premium travel," IATA said.
"There is still some way to go before premium travel recovers previous highs
but the decline looks to have been cyclical and we are now moving into the
upturn phase of the cycle."
Economy travel is often associated with leisure but increasingly this seat
class is driven by business travel, the association said.
Consumer confidence in the United States and Europe has been disappointingly
weak for several months.
Confidence in Asia is stronger but the pattern of economy travel has been
much more closely linked to drivers of business travel in the past two years.
Wide geographical differences persisted in February.
IATA said that the fastest growing markets continued to be within the Far
East and South America, together with route areas connected to the Middle East.
Growth on the important long-haul markets across the North Atlantic and
Pacific remained sluggish, it said.
-- BERNAMA
