European air passenger and freight growth slows
Volatile oil prices and labour cost pressures could cut numbers in 2019, but Brexit uncertainty is the top immediate risk
London — Growth in passenger numbers at European airports slowed in 2018 and freight traffic decelerated sharply, airport association ACI Europe says,adding that uncertainty over the global economy and Brexit could hinder numbers this year too. Passenger growth in Europe slowed to 6.1% in 2018 from 8.5% in 2017, which had been the quickest growth since 2004. Freight traffic declined much more sharply, from 8.4% growth in 2017 to 1.8% last year, with drops in traffic in November and December. “The trend of decreasing freight traffic is hard to ignore. It reflects weakening economic data and contraction forces at play, not just in Europe but around the world. These will ultimately translate into lower passenger demand,” Olivier Jankovec, director-general of ACI Europe, said. “Adding to that, volatile oil prices, labour cost pressures and more consolidation should also lead airlines to be more cautious with capacity expansion. So pressures on passenger traffic are likely to come both f...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.