Despite Strong Traffic Growth, IATA’s Tyler Warns of Market Fragility
IATA stats showed strong traffic growth in March, despite European crisis
European airlines have seen robust traffic gains, despite double-dip recessions in Spain and the UK.
European airlines have seen robust traffic gains, despite double-dip recessions in Spain and the UK.

Once again monthly International Air Transport Association (IATA) airline traffic statistics reflected “positive distortion” caused by geopolitical and other factors, resulting in somewhat inflated data for March. Last week IATA reported a rise in total passenger demand of 7.6 percent for the month of March over the same period a year earlier, while freight demand climbed 0.3 percent. If not for the disruption caused by the emergence of last year’s Arab Spring and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the year-over-year rise in passenger traffic would have settled at closer to a still relatively strong 5 or 6 percent, said IATA.