IATA: industry sees positive growth rate for premium travel in December
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February 16, 2010





The International Air Transport Association said that the number of business class passengers was 1.7% higher in December compared with December of last year, marking the first positive year-on-year growth rate for premium travel since May 2008.

“[Last year] was a year of two very distinct halves, with the final stages of severe recession impacting the first half and then the post-recession upturn in the second half,” the report said.

May of last year marked the low point for premium travel, when numbers were down 25%from early 2008 levels. Since then, premium passenger numbers have risen 11%, but by December were still 17% below the size of the market in early 2008, IATA said.

As a result, premium travel has lost six years of growth, while economy travel has lost more than two years of growth, the report said.

Economy travel was 5% higher in December compared with the same time last year.