Mideast air passenger demand falls short on global scale in November

DUBAI, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The civil aviation industry witnessed 4.9 percent demand increase year on year in November 2017, while international passenger demand in the same month rose 8.1 percent, led for the third consecutive month by carriers in the Asia-Pacific region, said International Air Transport Association (IATA) in its monthly assessment released Sunday.

IATA said the Mideast performance "was the lowest among the regions." The market segment "to and from North America continues to be affected by the now-lifted ban on personal electronic devices, as well as a wider impact stemming from the proposed travel restrictions to the United States from certain countries," added IATA.

By contrast, Asia-Pacific airlines' November traffic climbed 10.8 percent, "driven by strong regional economic growth and continuing expansion of options for travelers," according to IATA.

"The airline industry is in a good place entering 2018," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO.

The former CEO of Air France-KLM added "we expect 2018 to be the fourth year in a row where the industry's return on invested capital will exceed the cost of capital. In sum, we begin the New Year with confidence."

Nevertheless challenges remain, he said. "Security threats continue. Infrastructure issues persist. Fees and charges are a growing part of the cost base. And in many cases airports and air traffic management struggle to keep pace with demand and technology advancements." Enditem