Preliminary figures for 2009 compiled by ICAO show the overall 3.1% year-over-year decline in passenger traffic on carriers of its member states is the largest on record for the industry.
ICAO explains the decline reflects the one percent drop in the global gross domestic product for the year, and the first negative growth of the global economy since the great depression of 1929.
In 2001, the year of the terrorist attacks in the US, traffic dropped 2.9%.
The figures show that international traffic fell 3.9% year-over-year while domestic traffic declined 1.9%.
ICAO says total traffic, which includes both domestic and international, fell all regions except for the Middle East. Carriers in that region posted 10% growth.
The organisation says that double digit domestic passenger growth in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America, along with the relative strong performance of low cost carriers in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific helped ease the severity of the decline in total traffic.
Cargo traffic measured by total freight tonne kilometres fell 15% year-over-year in 2009, which ICAO says is significantly worse than the 6.2% drop in 2001.
ICAO states that in line with the improving economic situation underway in many parts of the world, a moderate recovery is expected for 2010. The association predicts 3.3% traffic growth next year.
"The momentum is expected to continue in 2011, on the way to full recovery and traditional growth trends of 5.5% per year," ICAO says.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
