airlines suffered 'worst year' in 2009

[green granite]

Iata says airlines suffered 'worst year' in 2009
Passengers queuing at check-in desk
Iata expects more passengers in 2010

The year 2009 saw the biggest decline in air passenger traffic in the post-war era, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

"In terms of demand, 2009 goes into the history books as the worst year the industry has ever seen," said the group's boss Giovanni Bisignani.

Passenger traffic dropped by 3.5% from a year earlier, while freight traffic fell 10.1% as the downturn hit demand.

However, figures for December showed a rise in traffic of 1.6% on a year ago.

Nice to know it's going up again. Full article: BBC News - Iata says airlines suffered 'worst year' in 2009 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8482654.stm)

[MungoP]

Interesting correlation between the cheapest fares in history and the lowest pax numbers...
Maybe now that the pax flying experience has been reduced to a level below the comfort of a greyhound bus and with the additional problems associated with airport security it's occuring to people that alternative travel and travelling only when absolutely necessary is a preferable option.....
With the exception of travelling back to Europe occasionally (and rarely), I prefer to drive for a day than fly for an hour.
The 'fly' for an hour is largely a false concept anyway as we have to present ourselves at least 2 hours before scheduled departure (in the US they ask for longer for international flights)... plus the trip to the airport, plus the inevitable 'delayed' departure plus a long wait while queuing for T/O... the 'one hour' flight is usually a minimum of 5 to 6 hours of discomfort travelling door to door.

[The SSK]

True - that extra hour for security cuts into your drinking time, makes it harder to maintain the financial equation of 'drink until you've made a profit' in Prague, Riga, Bratislava etc.

[green granite]

Indeed MungoP I'm surprised that with the advent of Eurostar services that LHR to Paris and Brussels services are still viable.

[The SSK]

Er ... Eurostar services are not viable - without bucketloads of public subsidy. Nor is it cheap.

Travel times - the railways like to quote 'chock to chock' times for themsenves compared to 'door to door' times for air. Not everyone lives opposite St Pancras and is visiting somewhere just outside the exit from Gare du Nord or Bruxelles-Midi. Oh, and they always forget to mention the obligatory (and enforced) 30-minute check-in time.

And then there's the huge carbon footprint of the tunnel's cooling system, but we're not allowed to mention that, are we?

[TIMA9X]

I wonder what the security business profits are like? Huge increases I bet! Agree with mungoP, a quoted one hour flight = 6 hours hassling from door to door!

Secondly, over the past say 5 or 6 years the privatisation of many major airport hubs creating huge profits by overcharging for car parking, baggage trolleys or a simple sandwich/burger coupled with government meddling with taxes and surcharges its now no wonder people are flying less even with the advent of the now so called LCCs.

Personally I believe all these added charges has even contributed to the increasing "Air Rage incidents" that the end players in this scenario, the mainstream airlines and their tech & cabin crews having just one more thing on their ever increasing lists to deal with.

I have also witnessed some pretty rough treatment from airport security/customs personal towards some Senior Captains, FOs and CCs, most of it completely uncalled for!

I feel that many customer complaints airlines receive are not always their fault moreover the PAX is already steamed up over some airport issue prior to boarding the aircraft.

[Bruce Wayne]

yields and passenger numbers are down.. and while airlines compete for business on ticket costs it further drives profitability down, which affects us all in the industry.

Aside for the added logistical headaches of air transportation, eg. the security issues etc adding to route times and perhaps pushing pax to other modes of transport, or even deferring travel completely, there are significant policy decisions that are affecting this industry and need to be addressed at the governmental policy level.

[Loose rivets]

What surprises me is that people are surprised.

Years of watching the industry being cheapened, and now seeing totally unqualified people, on a daily basis, humiliating ordinary families that are trying to reach their departure lounge. Cabin crews who seem to have learned that they have super powers. They can be as unpleasant as they like, and sometimes downright threatening.

Today's passengers are the passengers that have had enough.

'We' spent years trying to make flying a pleasurable experience for our passengers. Now I for one, dread it so much that I stay in the heat rather than go home. Every day I hear of people that don't want to go through the experience.

The industry as a whole is more vulnerable than any other business I can think of. The investments are breathtaking, and the slightest glitch in the planning can leave millions of dollars worth of kit doing nothing.

Parked, a large aircraft has to be insured and the patch on which it's parked, paid for. I recall Laker's 10's sitting around while routes were argued over. Just a day on the ground cost the price of a nice house - if you included the investment in the equation.

Investing in aviation has never been for the feint hearted, but now, what sane person would put their money into aviation?

This kind of unstable model means that the decline will become a spiral dive, not a gentle and temporary decline in profits. It is world-wide already, and the prospects are horrific. The only hope is that people can be offered a pleasant experience again...and this means everybody has to have a common goal, not just the beleaguered aircrew. Security, immigration, ground staff that are actually there when the PA says 'Ask one of our....etc.,'

I won't list my grumbles, but some of the treatment of elderly passengers that I've witnessed in the last few years has taken my breath away.

[ab33t]

Its all a bit of a see saw at the moment and explosions don't help . I look at the new ac deliveries and there are still many companies with a lot of backlog , so this does look good

[sidtheesexist]

I think I'm repeating what many have said before - (1) There's too much capacity and (2) air travel is unrealistically cheap.

With less disposable income about and large companys having to slash their travel budgets, I would venture to suggest that 2010 will see even more industry job losses including more airlines going under.

[Loose rivets]

I look at the new ac deliveries and there are still many companies with a lot of backlog , so this does look good

would you be kind enough to direct me to your supplier of rose-coloured spectacles.;)