KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 3): Global airline passenger traffic results for September showed that demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometers, or RPKs) rose 5.7% compared to the same month in 2016, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In a statement yesterday, IATA said this was the slowest year-on-year increase since February.

It said Hurricanes Irma and Maria weighed heavily on the results, although growth already had been tapering.

IATA said capacity climbed 5.3% and load factor edged up 0.3 percentage points to 81.6%, which was a record for the month of September.

IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said September’s growth in passenger demand was healthy, notwithstanding the heavy impacts of extreme weather events on the Americas.

“Global economic conditions support rising passenger demand, but with higher cost inputs, the demand stimulation from lower fares has waned, suggesting a moderating trend in traffic growth,” he said.