Passenger demand at Middle East airlines rises at its slowest pace in 18 months

Regional carriers increased capacity by 10 per cent in October compared with the same month a year earlier while passenger demand slowed to 7 per cent.

Passenger demand at Middle Eastern carriers in October rose at its slowest pace in 18 months, as low oil prices and an economic slowdown in the region dampened demand for air travel.

Regional carriers increased capacity by 10 per cent in October compared with the same month a year ago, while passenger demand slowed to 7 per cent, according to figures released by Iata on Wednesday.

This meant that average load factors, a measure of how efficiently airlines can fill seats and generate revenues, fell by 2 percentage points to 70.1 per cent, their lowest level for the month of October since 2006.

Across the world, Iata said, on average passenger demand rose 5.8 per cent in October compared with a year ago, as memories of recent terror attacks and political instability faded.

Capacity grew by 6.3 per cent. According to Iata, average load factors for all regions slid 0.4 percentage points to 80.1 per cent.

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter