Middle East flight segments 'show continuous growth'

Date: 18/2/2010

Flight segments to the Middle East stood out as showing continuous growth despite recession in the major economies, a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed.

Following an 18-month decline, the number of passengers travelling on premium (business or first class) seats in international markets increased, the association said, up by 1.7 per cent on last year.

Traffic between east Asian nations increased by almost 15 per cent, and flight segments (for example, intra-national flights and connections) to the Middle East continued to benefit from market share gains by Middle Eastern airlines, the report said.

"Many business travellers will still value direct flights rather than connections, however efficient and well served. From Europe to the Middle East, economy travel grew 9.6 per cent in 2009 and was 13.8 per cent up by December," the report revealed.

Premium traffic fell 1.1 per cent across the North Atlantic, the largest market for corporate travel, yet was up 15.8 per cent in December for the Middle East to Far East segment.

IATA warned that it is unclear whether the corporate travel market will return to previous levels as businesses are still requesting that employees use economy flights.