Passenger traffic growth strongest for 5 years

Global passenger traffic for January showed the strongest growth in demand for 5 years, IATA said in its monthly report. International passenger market demand grew 9.6% compared to the previous year as the Lunar New Year fell in January, compared to February in 2016. IATA said holiday-related travel contributed up to half of a percentage point in extra demand growth. Asia Pacific led the pack in terms of regional growth with a 14.3% lift. The Middle East came in a strong second on 13.5%, with Europe third on an 8.4% boost in revenue passenger km. North America trailed with a 3.4% increase in RPKs. Capacity in available seat km rose 8% overall, with the Middle East on 11.2% edging out Asia Pacific's 11.1% increase. Europe was third with a more modest 7% lift in capacity for the month. <br/>