IATA: hurricanes a factor in September passenger stats

A record hurricane season in the Caribbean affected air passenger traffic in September, according to the International Air Transport Association, which grew 5.7 per cent – the slowest year-on-year increase since February.

Although growth already had been tapering, IATA said that Hurricanes Irma and Maria weighed heavily on the results. Capacity climbed 5.3 per cent and load factor edged up 0.3 percentage points to 81.6 per cent, which was a record for the month of September.

"September’s growth in passenger demand was healthy, notwithstanding the heavy impacts of extreme weather events on the Americas," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. "Global economic conditions support rising passenger demand, but with higher cost inputs, the demand stimulation from lower fares has waned, suggesting a moderating trend in traffic growth."

By region, North American airlines experienced a three per cent rise in demand in September. Capacity rose 3.6 per cent and load factor fell 0.5 percentage points to 81.0 per cent. In addition to the impacts of hurricanes Irma and Maria, anecdotal evidence continues to suggest that inbound traffic to the US is being deterred by additional security measures now involved in traveling to the country.

See the full report here.