Global air travel demand rose 5.5 percent year over year in September, according to the International Air Transport Association. IATA labeled this growth a slowdown from August's year-over-year growth and attributed that largely to hurricane and typhoon activity, particularly Typhoon Jebi in Japan, which caused the complete closure of Kansai International Airport for multiple days. IATA cited an additional reason for moderation of growth from recent months. "This is likely owing to the anticipated reduced demand boost from lower airfares due to rising airline cost pressures, particularly fuel. Heightened uncertainty about trade policies and mounting protectionist policies may also be having an impact," said IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac. In addition, global capacity rose 5.8 percent year over year. For the first time in eight months, load factor fell year over year, by 0.3 percentage points to 81.4 percent.
Demand for international travel rose 4.9 percent. Capacity climbed 5.1 percent, and load factor fell 0.1 percentage points to 81.2 percent.Demand for domestic travel rose 6.5 percent, slower growth than a month prior. Capacity rose 7.4 percent, and load factor slipped 0.6 percentage points to 81.6 percent.
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