Global passenger traffic continued to show merely moderate gains throughout October, increasing by 2.3 percent, according to the Airports Council International (ACI) World.
Though the figure was down from the 2.6 percent gains recorded in September, it represented a continued trend of light gains that has been ongoing since June. This puts year-to-date growth at 3 percent as 2019 nears its end. The global air freight industry continued a declining trend, leading to a year-over-year reduction of 2.9 percent for October, and a likely decline in total freight volumes by year’s end.
“A weakened freight industry and a moderation in passenger traffic growth was recorded in October, which was mostly a continuation of the general trend in 2019,” ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said. “The domestic freight market managed a slight recovery, but with the volatile trade environment still present in the global stage, end-of-year results could go either way.”
In the passenger sphere, growth on the international market outpaced domestic growth, reaching 3.2 percent growth throughout October. By comparison, domestic growth was only 1.5 percent. North America sported 3.2 percent year-over-year growth, while Europe gained 2 percent, Africa gained a significant 5.2 percent, and the Middle East and Latin America-Caribbean gained 5.2 percent and 3.1, respectively. The Asia-Pacific market fared the worst, with only a 1.1 percent growth year-over-year for October.
Freight was a much different picture. While global freight volumes plummeted by 2.9 percent, the domestic market reached 0.7 percent growth. Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America-Caribbean all showed declines in October, at 3.4 percent, 4 percent, and 8 percent, respectively. The Asia-Pacific market fell by 4.9 percent, and Europe likewise posted declines, though at a much more modest 1.4 percent.
Year-over-year, North America also showed a 1.5 percent decline in volume. Despite this, its growth rate remained at 0.3 percent. Its domestic market continued to show growth, with 2.9 percent positivity posted, but its international market tumbled by 4 percent.