IATA says March passenger demand remains robust, buoyed by Lunar New Year

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for March 2015 showing demand (revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 7.4% compared to March 2014. This was an improvement on February, when year-over-year growth was 6.4%. The acceleration in the year-on-year comparison reflects the residual impact of the February Lunar New Year celebrations, which tend to boost leisure travel in the weeks before and after the holiday. In 2014, the holiday occurred at the end of January. However, underlying traffic trends confirm demand remains robust. March capacity rose 5.6% and load factor climbed 1.3 percentage points to 80.0%. Domestic markets experienced stronger growth than international markets, but both performed well. “March traffic continues the trend of healthy demand for travel. We may, however, see a softening of demand in the second quarter. There are signs that regional trade activity in Asia-Pacific may be slowing and Eurozone economic weakness continues to disappoint,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.