MUSCAT – According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) media report, released yesterday, total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), rose 6.1 percent year-on-year, while total capacity increased 5.6 percent, resulting in a record February load factor of 81.4 percent. International traffic increased 5.9%, with capacity up 5.3% and a load factor of 80.5 percent, while domestic travel expanded 6.3 percent, supported by strong demand in markets such as Brazil and China.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh highlighted the impact of regional tensions, stating that “without knowing the length and intensity of the war in the Middle East, it is impossible to quantify the full impact on airline prospects. Fuel costs have risen sharply, airfares are increasing, and capacity deployment is adjusting, particularly for traffic to, from, or through the Middle East.”
Scheduled capacity growth for March has already been reduced to 3.3 percent, down from earlier projections of over 5 percent.
Regional Performance:
• Middle East carriers saw a modest 0.9 percent increase in international demand year-on-year. Capacity rose 3.8 percent, while the load factor fell 2.2 percentage points to 79.6 percent.
• Asia-Pacific airlines achieved an 8.6 percent increase, with load factors at 86.6 percent, fuelled by Lunar New Year travel.
• European carriers recorded 5.0 percent growth in international traffic, with a load factor of 75.6 percent.
• North American carriers reported a 5 percent rise in demand, with load factors reaching 80.9 percent.
• Latin American airlines achieved the strongest growth at 13.5 percent, with load factors at 85 percent.
• African airlines saw a 4.8 percent increase in demand, with a load factor of 74.5 percent.
IATA said domestic markets remained robust, with RPK up 6.3 percent and capacity closely matching demand, resulting in a stable 82.8 percent load factor.
