GENEVA — IATA has released its November Airlines Financial Monitor report, and has found increases in both demand and capacity across the industry.

Year-on-year growth in industry-wide revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) rose to a robust 7.2% in October, up from 6.0% the month before. As expected, passenger volumes recovered in October following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Americas in September. However, the broader upward trend in SA RPKs has slowed over the course of 2017.

As for capacity, industry-wide available seat kilometres (ASKs) increased by 6.2% year-on-year in October. Having also been affected by Irma and Maria, ASKs also recovered strongly in October. A total of 126 new aircraft were delivered in October.

The passenger load factor posted a record high for the month of October, at 80.8%, 0.8 percentage points higher than October 2016. In seasonally-adjusted terms, the passenger load factor remains elevated and very close to its all-time record high.