Global air passenger traffic demand rises 7.7 percent in May: IATA

[July 06, 2017]  (Reuters) - Global demand for air travel rose 7.7 percent in May as almost all regions, excluding the Middle East and North America, posted record-high May load factors, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday.

A silhouetted airplane flies past a 'super moon' over New York on June 23, 2013. REUTERS/Zoran Milich

Middle East carriers had a 3.7 percent rise in demand in May compared to a year ago, close to an eight-year low, with IATA saying that reflected the ban on large portable electronics devices in the cabin from 10 airports in the region to the United States, plus uncertainty over President Trump's proposed travel bans.

Qatar Airways on Thursday joined Emirates [EMIRA.UL], Turkish Airlines <THYAO.IS> and Etihad in saying the ban had been lifted.

Overall, IATA said global capacity measured in available seat kilometers rose 6.1 percent, slower than demand. That meant load factors - a measure of how full planes are - increased 1.2 percentage points to 80.1 percent, which IATA said was a record for the month.

"The rising price of fuel and other input costs is likely to see airlines' ability to stimulate markets with lower fares taper over the coming months," IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said.

(Reporting by Daria Kowalewska; Editing by Victoria Bryan)

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