IATA: RPK growth for European carriers eases to 11 month low in Mar-2019

IATA, in its May-2019 Europe regional briefing, reported (27-May-2019) a 4.9% year-on-year increase in RPKs for European carriers in Mar-2019, exceeding the world result of 3.1%. The annual growth rate for European carriers eased to an 11 month low, partly reflecting escalating Brexit uncertainty, as the original deadline of 29-Mar-2019 passed without any agreement on the way forward. The Mar-2019 result was also affected by the earlier timing of the 2018 Easter holiday, which boosted demand in Mar-2018. Russia's domestic segment continued to perform strongly with 14.2% growth in RPKs in Mar-2019. The market's recent performance is underpinned by lower airfares and a solid economic backdrop including high oil prices. The within Europe market remained the strongest performer in Mar-2019 with a 7.4% rise in RPKs. Europe-North America experienced a slowdown in growth to 3.3%, appearing to reflect volatility in the monthly data. European airlines outperformed the industry average on passenger load factor, recording 83.7% in Mar-2019, compared to the 81.7% industry average. [more - original PR]