While the war in Iran has led to a significant downturn in air travel, North American carriers have held steady, posting exactly the same numbers for total demand (0.0% gain/loss) in April over last year, reports IATA.
This compares to a -3.4% decline globally, though IATA notes that, excluding the Middle East, overall demand actually increased 1.2%.
At the same time North American carriers have reduced capacity 1.1% year-on-year, but increased load factor by almost the same amount (+0.9 ppt) to 83.9%
“The 46.6% fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region was so acute that it dragged overall demand down -3.4%,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up. Forward schedule data is showing a reduced offering in the coming months, indicating that airlines are balancing high fuel costs and weaker demand.”
While the North American region flatlined, all other regions (except the Middle East) showed growth, led by Latin America at 8.9% year over year.
Most growth was reflected in domestic demand with international travel demand falling 5.3% globally.
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