July Traffic Growth Checked by Slowing BRIC Economies
Brazilian domestic traffic fell 0.6 percent in July as inflationary pressures continue to mount. (Photo: Airbus)
Brazilian domestic traffic fell 0.6 percent in July as inflationary pressures continue to mount. (Photo: Airbus)

Growth in global airline traffic–both passenger and cargo–continued a positive trend during the month of July, as revenue passenger kilometers increased 5 percent and freight ton kilometers rose 1.2 percent over the same month in 2012, according to a pair of reports issued last week by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). However, IATA’s July figures highlighted a weakening of Asian performance and reinforced projections for slowing growth in Brazil, Russia, India and China–the so-called BRIC countries–by Airports Council International (ACI). A separate report issued by ACI World showed a modest 3-percent growth rate during the first five months of the year. ACI World reported a combined 4.4-percent growth rate among all regions last year compared with 2011.