Political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa dented international air traffic in February, slowing the recovery in demand seen in recent months, the International Air Transport Association said Tuesday.
Passenger traffic in February was up 6.0% from the same month of 2010, marking a slowdown from the annual growth rate of 8.4% recorded in January, IATA said.
Annual growth in air cargo demand slowed to 2.3% last month, down from 8.7% in February.
"The political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa during February is estimated to have cut international traffic by about 1%. As such it is responsible almost entirely for the slippage in passenger demand growth," IATA said in a statement.
"Another series of shocks is denting the industry's recovery from the recession. 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 CEO Giovanni Bisignani.
"The tragic earthquake and its aftermath in Japan will most certainly see a further dampening of demand from March. The industry fundamentals are good. But extraordinary circumstances have made the first quarter of 2011 very difficult," he added.
In the passenger sector, all regions saw growth slow in February, with African carriers recording a 1.3% year-on-year fall in volumes.
As well as demand being affected by the political unrest, Bisignani said airlines were also watching high fuel prices carefully.
Based on an average crude price of $96/barrel, IATA expects fuel to account for 29% of average operating costs, with a total annual fuel bill for the industry of $166 billion.
