IATA: 2011 Ends on a Positive Note, but Signs for 2012 Warrant Caution
Airlines finish 2011 on a high note.
Latin American carriers led those of all other regions in traffic growth for 2011. (Photo: Boeing)
Latin American carriers led those of all other regions in traffic growth for 2011. (Photo: Boeing)

International Air Transport Association director general and CEO Tony Tyler dubbed 2011 “a year of contrasts,” in the group’s annual traffic report issued last week, as worldwide airline passenger demand last year rose 5.9 percent and cargo markets contracted by 0.7 percent for the year. Meanwhile, growth in demand lagged the 6.3-percent capacity increases among passenger airlines and the 4.1-percent capacity rise among cargo carriers, resulting in downward pressure on load factors. Passenger load factors for 2011 averaged 78.1 percent, compared with 78.3 percent in 2010, while the freight load factor dropped more than two points, from 48.1 percent in 2010 to just 45.9 percent last year.