Dubai: Middle East carriers saw their growth rate decline from 17.8 per cent in October to 16.7 per cent in November, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said yesterday in its monthly update.
The region's carriers handled 16 per cent more traffic in November than at the pre-recession peak in early 2008, showing that they have gained market share over the course of the recession and the recovery, it said. The region recorded a load factor of 74.3 per cent, below the global average of 75.6 per cent.
African carriers were the only region to show an increase in growth rates from October (12.6 per cent) to November (16.4 per cent).
The region's carriers moved 11 per cent more travellers in November than they did at the pre-recession peak in early 2008.
Internationally, passenger traffic logged 8.2 per cent year-on-year growth in November while freight increased by 5.4 per cent.
The passenger load factor for November averaged 75.6 per cent while the freight load factor stood at 55.2 per cent for the month.
November saw traffic growth slow from the 10 per cent increase recorded in the passenger business and the 14.5 per cent growth in freight in October.
The slow down in 2010 is partially skewed because of the exceptionally rapid rise in traffic volumes recorded during the fourth quarter of 2009.
However, when viewed in absolute terms, air travel fell by 0.8 per cent and freight fell by 1.1 per cent between October and November 2010.
