Traveller flight demand on the up

Demand for flights rose by 8.6 per cent during the month of August compared with the same period last year, new figures have revealed.

This represented a 16-year high for demand growth and partly reflected a boom in airline activity in the Asia Pacific region, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said.

Factors such as last year's ongoing security issues on the North Atlantic can also be held accountable for the rise in demand this year, according to the organisation.

In addition, improving passenger load factors - the extent to which capacity on flights is being used up - meant that carriers enjoyed better environmental performance by slashing the level of emissions for each passenger.

"The trend of increasing load factors is a concrete example of how aviation's business and environmental goals are aligned with efficiency as a common denominator," commented Giovanni Bisignani, director-general and chief executive of the IATA.

Last month, the organisation welcomed the aviation and climate change strategy agreed at the Triennial Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which included initiatives such as investing in new technology and managing aircraft more effectively.

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