IATA International Traffic Statistics 2002 - Numbers Adding Up to Start Recovery

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today released its monthly statistics for scheduled international airline traffic for December and year 2002. In the month of December passenger traffic was up 12.7% on the previous year, an increase that was exaggerated by the depressed traffic levels at the end of 2001. Freight traffic grew by 6.6%, continuing the positive trend seen during the second half of 2002.

2002 Results

Full year 2002 results show a slight net increase in international passenger traffic on IATA carriers over 2001 of 0.06%. However passenger capacity fell by 4.3%, resulting in a 3.3% improvement in the overall passenger load factor for the year. Freight traffic shows an increase of 6.5% for the year. Overall capacity (passenger and freight combined) fell by 2.5%.

* figures are provisional - represent total reporting plus estimates for missing data

RPK - Revenue Passenger-Kilometres

ASK - Available Seat-Kilometres

FTK - Freight Tonne-Kilometres

ATK - Available Tonne-Kilometres

Region refers to area of carrier registration

With regard to regional results, Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's CEO and Director General, highlighted the continuing traffic growth in Asia Pacific. "Asia Pacific carriers ended the year with encouraging traffic figures compared with other regions. Passenger traffic grew by 5.8% and freight traffic by 13.3% in contrast to the results seen for North American and European carriers."

Comparisons with 2000

Since 2001 was an exceptionally bad year, a better idea of overall traffic and capacity trends is seen from a comparison of 2002 with 2000 on the following graph. Current passenger traffic levels are averaging a 4.0% decline and freight a 2.0% decline, on two years ago.