IATA international traffic rises on holidays to Brazil and Asia
INTERNATIONAL air passenger traffic in February rose 9.3 per cent year on year but faltering business sentiment and stubborn fuel costs were cause for concern, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said yesterday.
The figures were also flattered by the timing of annual Lunar New Year holidays in Asia, Brazil’s carnival, and year-ago figures hurt by uprisings in north Africa.
“The outlook is fragile,” IATA’s director general Tony Tyler said. “Improvements in business confidence slowed in February. This will limit the potential for business class travel growth and it implies that an uptick for cargo is not imminent.”
International freight rose 5.1 per cent in February. Passenger traffic grew more rapidly than available capacity, which rose 7.3 per cent.