epa05176086 Passengers stand in queue at the check-in of the Thai low-cost airline Nok Air inside the passenger terminal at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, 23 February 2016. Nok Air, a low-cost airline, made an official announcement to cancel 20 flights on 23 February, following a pilot strike. The airline is in the process of upgrading its standards, which made some pilots not meeting the new criteria. The pilots went on strike to express their discontent. Nok Air is the third-largest budget airline in Thailand. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK
KUALA LUMPUR: Global passenger traffic, as measured by revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), grew by 7.1% year-on-year in January 2016 -- ahead of the 2015 full-year growth rate of 6.5%.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement on Tuesday that January capacity rose 5.6%, resulting in a 1.1 percentage point increase in load factor to 78.8%. This was the highest load factor ever recorded for the first month of the year.
RPK measures actual passenger traffic, calculated by multiplying the number of paying passengers by the distance traveled.
Load factor is the percentage of available seat-kilometres used.
IATA director-general and chief executive officer Tony Tyler said January maintained the strong traffic growth trend seen in 2015, showing the resilience of demand for connectivity despite recent turmoil in equity markets.
“The record load factor is a result of strong demand for our product and airlines making the most productive use of their assets. Underlying conditions point to another strong year for passenger traffic, with the latest decline in oil prices likely providing additional stimulus for air travel growth,” he said.
Asia-Pacific accounted for the highest world share (31.5%) of total passenger traffic last year in terms of RPKs.
January international passenger traffic rose 7.3% in January 2016 compared with a year earlier. All regions recorded year-over-year increases in demand.
Asia-Pacific carriers, registered a jump 10.3% compared with January 2015. Capacity rose 7.6%, pushing up load factor 2 percentage points to 79.2%.
“A 7.3% increase in the number of direct airport connections within the Asia region over the past 12 months or so has helped to stimulate demand,” IATA said.
Domestic air travel, meanwhile, rose 6.8% in January year-on-year.
IATA represents some 260 airlines, which account for 83% of global air traffic.
* For IATA's announcement on air freight, see Air freight business continues to improve
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