By Elizabeth ADENUGA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday said that African airlines recorded a 2.5 per cent increase in passenger traffic in February compared to the same period in 2018.
A statement signed by IATA’s Director-General, Mr Alexandre de Juniac, indicated that the rate was however down from 5.1 per cent growth in January.
“Concerns over conditions in the largest economies are contributing to the slowdown. Capacity rose 0.3 per cent, and load factor climbed 1.5 percentage points to 69.7 per cent ,” he said.
According to him, global passenger traffic for February rose to 5.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2018.
He said it was the slowest rate of growth in more than a year, but was still in line with long-term demand trends.
The IATA boss said monthly capacity increased by 5.4 per cent and load factor slipped 0.1 percentage point to 80.6 per cent, which was still high by historic standards.
“After January’s strong performance, we settled down a bit in February, in line with concerns about the broader economic outlook.
“Continuing trade tensions between the US and China, and unresolved uncertainty over Brexit are also weighing on the outlook for travel,” de Juniac said.
According to him, while overall economic confidence appears to be softening, aviation continues to deliver solid results, helping to sustain global commerce and the movement of people.
He said “The Brexit deadline has come and gone with no separation agreement, but with vital air connectivity between the UK and the continent maintained for the present.
“Temporary measures, however, are no substitute for a comprehensive Brexit package that will ensure that the Business of Freedom is able to play its vital role in contributing to the well-being of the region and the world.”==NAN
