Airlines in Nigeria and other African countries have recorded at least 14 per cent surge in passenger traffic, in the face of general boom across the globe.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in its latest report, found 10.7 per cent increase in passenger traffic demand globally for May 2024.
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), was up 10.7 per cent compared to May 2023. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), was up 8.5 per cent year-on-year. The May load factor was 83.4 per cent (+1.7ppt compared to May 2023), a record high for May.
African airlines saw a 14.1 per cent year-on-year increase in demand for the period under review. Capacity was up 8.2 per cent year-on-year. The load factor rose to 72.3 per cent (+3.7ppt compared to May 2023). This was the fastest increase in load factor among all regions, although Africa still has the lowest load factor overall.
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, noted that world airlines filled 83.4 per cent of their seats – a record for the month. Walsh added that with May ticket sales for early peak-season travel up nearly six per cent, the growth trend shows no signs of abating though amid concerns.
said: “Airlines are doing everything they can to ensure smooth journeys for all travellers over the peak northern summer period. But our expectations of air navigation service providers (ANSPs) are already being tested. With 5.2 million minutes of air traffic control delays racked up in Europe even before the peak season begins, it is clear that Europe’s ANSPs have unresolved challenges.
“And the 32,000 flight delays over the Memorial Day weekend in May show that challenges persist in the U.S. too. Airlines are accountable to their customers; ANSPs must be as well. ANSP performance matters to their airline customers and to millions of travellers. We all need them to do their job efficiently,” Walsh said.
In the other regions, Asia-Pacific airlines continue to lead the way, with a 27.0 per cent year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 26.0 per cent year-on-year and the load factor rose to 81.6 per cent (+0.6ppt compared to May 2023).
This performance maintains Asian carriers as the largest contributor to industry-wide growth in May, accounting for 42 per cent of the year-on-year increase.
European carriers saw an 11.7 per cent year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 11.3 per cent year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.7 per cent (up 0.3ppt compared to May 2023).
Middle Eastern airlines saw a 9.7 per cent year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 9.0 per cent year-on-year and the load factor increased 0.5ppt to 80.7 per cent compared to May 2023.
Asian routes to the Middle East are particularly strong, now standing some 32 per cent higher than in 2019. Another notable development is the Europe-Middle East route, which saw an April-May RPK increase for two years in a row, reversing the previous historic pattern of a decline between these months. In the coming months, it will become clearer to what extent these trends could be related to the Russia-Ukraine war.
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