Growing unrest in the Middle East and North Africa stifled air passenger traffic in February, reducing growth sharply from January levels, International Air Transport Association (Iata) figures released today showed.
International passenger traffic grew 6 per cent compared with a year earlier, down from a revised 8.4 per cent rise in January as would-be travellers delayed or postponed their journeys to the region, depressing monthly numbers.
"The political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa during February is estimated to have cut international traffic by about 1 per cent. As such it is responsible almost entirely for the slippage in passenger demand growth," Iata said.
Ar freight - an important measure of world trade - was also impacted by the unrest, as well as by factory shutdowns due to the Chinese New Year, which occurred in the first part of February.
Air cargo traffic was up just 2.3 per cent in February after rising 8.7 per cent in January, Iata said in its monthly traffic figures.
Rising oil prices, pushed up by concerns the unrest could force oil prices up further, are also choking air traffic.
The Japanese earthquake and ensuing concerns over a damaged nuclear power plant combined with continuing unrest in the Mena region are expected to squeeze March air traffic further.
"As the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia spreads across the Middle East and North Africa, demand growth across the region is taking a step back," said Iata chief executive Giovanni Bisignani in a statement.
"The tragic earthquake and its aftermath in Japan will most certainly see a further dampening of demand from March."
Iata represents 240 airlines operating 94 per cent of all international traffic. Domestic flights are excluded from its data.