IATA says no recovery in April

IATA (International Air Transport Association) has published traffic figures for April which show a 3.1% decline in passenger demand and a 21.7% fall in cargo demand compared to April 2008.  The average passenger load factor stood at 74.4%.  While April’s 3.1% passenger demand drop was a clear improvement compared to the -11.1% fall in March, this improvement should be viewed with caution says IATA.  Easter holidays, which fell in the month of April, positively skews the data by at least 2%.  Traffic gains were at the expense of yields in most regions.  And preliminary data for May suggests a renewed double digit decline, at least for European airlines.  Freight demand appears to have found a solid floor with a fifth consecutive month at more than 20% below the previous year’s levels. www.iata.org

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