Global passenger traffic rose by 5.6 percent in 2007 according to airports participating in the monthly “Flash” reports of the Airports Council International throughout 2007. This preliminary result is in line with the ACI forecast for the year.

Director General Robert J Aaronson says, “International traffic has been the constant driver for passenger and freight traffic expansion this year, with passenger traffic peaking in March and November and freight in August, and both finishing on a more subdued note in December. It is not surprising to see the sobering impact of factors as diverse as volatile financial markets, slowing world economies and the cost of fuel. Nonetheless, consumer demand remains firm in many regions, which means that capacity and congestion are still key concerns as we seek to ensure service excellence for the over 4 billion passengers who pass through world’s airports each year.”

December results:

Airports worldwide maintained a steady 4 percent rise in overall traffic for December 2007 compared to December 2006, with international traffic once again driving overall growth in all regions (average 7.7 percent increase worldwide).

As throughout the year, international traffic growth far surpassed domestic performance. Each of the largest traffic regions – North America, Asia Pacific and Europe – registered close to 7 percent in international growth, and in the Middle East (up 16.6) and Africa (up 17.5) new routes, new services and popular tourist destinations contributed to double-digit results.

For domestic traffic in December, the Latin America/Caribbean region posted the highest increase (9.4 percent) with Africa and Asia Pacific reporting 5 and 4 percent increases respectively. North America’s domestic traffic dropped by 1.2 percent drop, reflecting the impact of further capacity reductions in the US, high fuel prices and consumer reaction to economic uncertainty.