Preliminary traffic figures for 2001 released by the International Civil Aviation Organisation show a marked fall, the first since 1991. Overall traffic up to September was virtually unchanged, with passenger traffic rising slightly and freight falling. After 11 September, dramatic falls in traffic meant that overall traffic for the year fell 6% compared with 2000. The airlines were unable to reduce capacity quickly enough to cope, causing average passenger load factor to fall from 71% in 2000 to 68% in 2001.
Source: Flight International
