International air passenger traffic grew 5.9 percent over the first nine months of this year compared with the same period in 2005, global industry body IATA (the International Air Transport Association) reported on Wednesday.
Freight carried by its some 260 member airlines, covering some 94 percent of non-domestic scheduled air traffic, was up 5.2 percent over the same period, said IATA.
But from May this year the growth in passengers and freight has been slowing, according to IATA. In September, passenger numbers were up by only 4.7 percent on the figures for September last year and freight was up by only 4.9 percent.
In a comment on the figures, IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said the slowing growth was "starting to weaken the strong revenue environment" for airlines.
But, he added, efficiency gains and a recent fall in spot oil prices had provided a boost for the long-troubled global industry, which is hoping to return to profit next year after six years of heavy losses since 2001.
Bisignani said he remained confident that, as he predicted in August, overall losses for the entire IATA membership this year would be only $1.7 billion, against $3.2 billion in 2005. The three major industry regions - Asia/Pacific at 5.4 percent, North America at 5.7 percent, and Europe at 5.3 percent - all saw steady passenger growth during the first nine months of 2006.
But while North America saw a freight growth over the period of 5.9 percent and Asia/Pacific of 5.3 percent, in Europe cargo volumes moved increased by only 2.1 percent.
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