KUALA LUMPUR: Global air passenger demand fell 0.5 per cent in September from the same month last year, reflecting weakness in the Middle East and North America.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said demand grew 0.3 per cent when the Middle East was excluded.
In a statement issued in Geneva, Switzerland, the association said total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), declined 0.2 per cent year-on-year, while the passenger load factor stood at 83.2 per cent, down 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier.
IATA senior vice-president (sustainability) and chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen said the figures nevertheless marked an improvement from August, with most international markets returning to growth.
