Global passenger traffic has risen by 6.2% in the January-November period compared to the previous year at the world’s major airports, according to the latest figures from Airports Council International (ACI). Passenger traffic in November alone increased by 6.3% year over year.
International traffic rose by 6.1% and domestic traffic was up 6.5% for the month. In an environment of lower fares and dropping oil prices, global air travel continues to record robust year-over-year growth above the three-year growth trend, says ACI.
The Middle East continues to lead growth in international passenger traffic (+11.3%), followed by Asia-Pacific and Latin America-Caribbean, both growing by 8.2%. In contrast, airports in Africa saw international passenger traffic contract by 9.2%, testifying to the volatility of the region. The two key tourist airports in Egypt, Hurghada (HRG) and Sharm El Sheikh (SSH), reported international traffic losses of 33% and 58% respectively compared to the previous year. This was aggravated by a decline of 8.4% at Marrakech (RAK), a major Moroccan airport.
Mature air transport markets robust
North America continues to outperform European growth in both international and domestic passenger traffic, posting gains of 7.2% and 9.2% versus 4.8% and 3% in Europe. Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta (ATL), San Francisco (SFO) and Houston (IAH) reported strong double-digit growth in international passenger traffic of 11.4%, 15.9%, 14.1% and 14.2% respectively. Strong economic fundamentals coupled with a boost in holiday travel are cited for the robust growth rates.
In November 2015, Latin America-Caribbean recorded moderate growth of 3.3% in passenger traffic. Growth rates are mixed across the region, where passenger traffic declined in Brazil by 4.9%. This is counterbalanced with strong traffic growth in Mexico (+13.2%) and Colombia (+10.8%).
