IATA CEO: ‘Acts of Terror Will Not Get the Better of Us… Flying is a Force for Good in Our World’

Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Tony Tyler, the director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), on Thursday encouraged travel as a response to recent acts and threats of terrorism.

“The end of the year is a festive time around the world. But this year’s celebrations will be juxtaposed against the somber reality of recent terrorist activity in the Middle East and Europe. This, by all indications, also includes the downing of Metrojet 9268 with the loss of all aboard”, Mr Tyler said in an announcement on the global passenger traffic results for October.

IATA’s head stressed that “acts of terror, whether they occur on a city street or at 30,000 feet, will not get the better of us, or succeed in limiting the possibilities of our world”.

He underlined that the most important response to acts and threats of terrorism is to show that we will not let the terrorists change our lives.

“That extends to aviation and tourism. Over 100,000 flights will bring a million people together today because of the efforts of 8.7 million people—aviation professionals. These efforts will create opportunities for business and leisure and for greater understanding among people and cultures. By doing so, flying is a force for good in our world. As we look to 2016 and beyond it’s a reality that should continue to inspire us all,” said Tyler.

In regards to the global passenger traffic results for October, IATA said they showed continued strong demand growth for both domestic and international traffic compared to the year-ago period.

According to IATA’s data, global air travel increased by 7.5 percent, which was in line with the 7.4 percent year-over-year expansion seen in September.

Growth in air travel has been stimulated by lower fares, particularly for leisure travel.

Data for the first 8 months of the year show a 5 percent fall in average fares in currency-adjusted terms. It is estimated that the fall in fares has supported approximately 3 percentage points of the rise in traffic year-to-date.

October international passenger demand rose 7.6 percent compared to October 2014, with airlines in all regions recording growth. Total capacity climbed 6.1 percent, pushing up load factor 1.1 percentage points to 79.2 percent.