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Arab world air traffic slides

DUBAI — Israel's assault on Lebanon has impacted the flow of air traffic within the region. Passenger traffic inside the Arab world increased by only 2.5 per cent in July compared to July 2005 — way down on the 4.9 per cent recorded between the Arab world and other regions. Traffic within the Arabian Peninsula decreased by 5.9 per cent.

Despite the dampening impact of the war, however, passenger traffic in the Arab world as a whole still grew by 4.9 per cent in July 2006 compared to July 2005. This follows a growth of 9.6 per cent in June 2006 compared to June 2005.

This growth of passenger traffic in the Arab world reflects the increase in traffic with all the world regions, especially Australasia, where air traffic grew by 18.2 per cent.

Seat capacity also increased substantially in the Arab world with the overall number of seats offered increasing 18 per cent year-on-year (July 2006 over July 2005). Arab airlines increased the number of their offered seats in the Arab world by 17.7 per cent, while other airlines increased the number of seats offered by 18.8 per cent.

Arab airlines also increased the number of seats offered from and to the Arab world by 15 per cent and 22.1 per cent within the Arab world. Other airlines increased the number of seats offered from and to the Arab world by 20.5 per cent and by 1.7 per cent within the Arab world. In July, jet fuel prices ranged between 208.76 and 220.91 cents/gallon, averaging 214.01 cent/gallon.