Strong passenger traffic in January as Embraer and Boeing roll out their new models

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a 9.6% increase in global passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) during January 2017 – the strongest increase in more than five years. Half a percentage uptick was the result of the Lunar New Year falling in January rather than February in 2016. January capacity rose 8.0%, while load factor climbed 1.2 percentage points to 80.2%. “2017 is off to a very strong start, with demand at levels not seen since 2011. This is supported by the upturn in the global economic cycle and a return to a more normal