Gulf airlines lead global passenger demand

Dubai: The Middle East airlines posted the strongest growth rates in passenger demand for January 2013 with a 14.3 per cent increase in demand, as the global air travel demand jumped 3.7 per cent in the month from a year earlier, according to the latest report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The aviation watchdog said in a statement on Tuesday that this growth in the Middle East was nearly evenly matched by a 14.4 per cent growth in capacity and load factors for the region which were above the global average at 78.6 per cent.

“The region’s carriers have successfully tapped into demand from emerging markets with the strength of their network structures and efficient hubs,” IATA stated, adding that the global demand may pick up pace in 2013.

“Passenger travel is growing in line with business confidence levels. Recent months have seen some positive economic signs emerge in both the US and China, and the eurozone crisis seems to have stabilised,” IATA Chief Executive and Director General, Tony Tyler, said in a statement.

He added that risks for the sector remain such as high fuel prices and the impact of US budget cuts. “But even with those headwinds — real and potential — we still see underlying support for continued and potentially even strengthened growth,” said Tyler.