African airlines experienced a 7.9% rise in demand

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | African airlines experienced a 7.9% rise in demand compared to November 2016, according to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest analysis.

Data supplied by airlines around the world last November indicates that volumes started to trend upwards strongly again in seasonally-adjusted terms in recent months, in line with an improvement in business confidence in key economies including Kenya and Nigeria. Capacity rose 3.7% and load factors climbed 2.7 percentage points to 68.3%.

“The airline industry is in a good place entering 2018. November’s strong demand gives the industry momentum,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

“The number of unique city-pair connections now tops 20,000. Passengers not only have more travel choices than ever, the cost of travel in real terms has never been cheaper. Along with delivering great value to consumers, airlines are rewarding their shareholders with normal levels of profitability.

He said they expect 2018 to be the fourth year in a row where the industry’s return on invested capital will exceed the cost of capital amidst a number of challenges including security threats and inadequate infrastructure.