The third quarter of 2008 concluded on a decline of 2 percent, the first quarterly contraction since Q2 2003 (download full release for quarterly growth chart). World traffic growth for September 2007 compared to September 2008 fell by 4 percent., and the only region recording an overall increase for the month was the Middle East (+2.4%), despite a drop of 5 percent at Dubai, the biggest airport in the region.
 
International traffic is now ensnared in the downward spiral for the first time since June 2003, shrinking by 2.7 percent worldwide. Traffic at major hubs in Europe declined by 3 percent on average. The Asia Pacific region, the largest international passenger market, plummeted by 6.6 percent, a result driven by key hubs: Incheon (-12.6%), Shanghai (-16%), Narita (-10%), Taipei (-14%), Bangkok (-20%) and Hong Kong (-4.4%).   European and North American international traffic fell by 2.4 percent.
 
Domestic traffic presents a bleak picture across all regions (-5.4%) in September. The decline in Asia Pacific (-0.7%) is smaller than the previous month however.  While India is still experiencing a double-digit decline in domestic traffic, demand in China has picked up again after the Olympics (Beijing +15%).  Domestic traffic in North America dropped sharply by 7.6 percent, in line with -7.4 percent in Europe.  Although domestic results dropped in Latin America & Caribbean (-2.6%) and Africa (-11.5%), international traffic was stable, growing at 1.5 percent and 4.1 percent respectively.
 
While domestic freight remains volatile yet firmly entrenched in negative territory (-7% in September, up from -19% in August), the trend in international freight is deteriorating consistently (-3% in Q3, worst performance since Q1 2002) across all regions sending a bad signal for the global economy.

"As the financial crisis unfolds and strikes economies around the world, airports are taking a strong hit.  Overall, traffic in the first three quarters increased by just over 1 percent, and hopes for a quick recovery are fading.  In the current economic environment, the last quarter of 2008 is rather unlikely to produce a positive result and we expect that worldwide traffic growth will remain flat for the year," says ACI Economics Director Andreas Schimm.
 
Affirming ACI’s commitment to investing in a sustainable future for aviation, he adds, "Despite economic challenges airports will continue to provide the highest standards of safety, security and customer service. To further promote excellence and professional skills in the field of airport safety and operations, ACI invites the international airport industry to convene in Beijing on 18-19 November at the ACI World Safety Seminar."