Budget airlines push traffic to record 4.1 billion passengers

Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/01/18/011818_turk.jpg"/><figcaption>A Turkish Airlines aircraft flies over the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey January 17, 2018. Murad Sezer, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>MONTREAL, Canada - Budget carriers continued to push global air traffic to new record levels last year, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said on Wednesday.Scheduled air services carried &quot;a new record&quot; of 4.1 billion passengers in 2017, an increase of 7.1 percent over the previous year, ICAO said, citing preliminary data.The figure compares with six percent growth in 2016.&quot;The sustainability of the tremendous growth in international civil air traffic is demonstrated by the continuous improvements to its safety, security, efficiency and environmental footprint,&quot; ICAO Council president Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu said in a statement from the Montreal-based agency.Early this month, 2 industry studies showed that last year was the safest for civil aviation since plane crash statistics were first compiled in 1946.A total of 10 crashes of civil passenger and cargo planes claimed 44 lives, said the Aviation Safety Network. A separate report from the To70 agency said no major airline crashed a plane in 2017.ICAO, a United Nations agency, said Wednesday that low-cost carriers flew an estimated 1.2 billion passengers or about 30 percent of the global total last year.The budget airline sector &quot;consistently grew at a faster pace compared to the world average growth, and its market share continued to increase, specifically in emerging economies,&quot; ICAO said.It added that air travel demand growth has been supported by improving global economic conditions.In terms of Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), a measure of total distance flown by paying passengers, international passenger traffic rose 8.0 percent, up from 7.8 percent the previous year, ICAO said.All regions showed stronger growth, except the Middle East, where factors including competition between hubs, low oil prices and a strong dollar led to &quot;a significant decline in growth,&quot; to 6.9 percent from 11.8 percent a year earlier, the agency said.Europe remained the largest international market with a 37 percent share of world international RPKs, up 8.1 percent, ICAO said.Latin American and Caribbean airlines saw the strongest RPK growth with 10 percent, while Asia-Pacific grew 9.6 percent, Africa 7.6 percent and North America was slowest at 4.9 percent.ICAO noted that average jet fuel prices rose by about 25 percent last year but remained significantly below levels in the previous decade.The industry was expected to end 2017 with another record operating profit, of around $60 billion, ICAO said.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>

Budget carriers continued to push global air traffic to new record levels last year, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said on Wednesday.

Budget carriers continued to push global air traffic to new record levels last year, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said on Wednesday.

Budget airlines push traffic to record 4.1 billion passengers | ABS-CBN

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

Business

Budget airlines push traffic to record 4.1 billion passengers

Budget airlines push traffic to record 4.1 billion passengers

Agence France-Presse

Published Jan 18, 2018 08:52 AM PHT

|

Updated Jan 18, 2018 09:37 AM PHT

Read More:

aviation

transportation

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.