Goldman Sachs Sees Air Traffic Growth at 1.6% Amid Capacity Expansion
Goldman Sachs has released its latest forecast for global air traffic growth. According to the firm, global air traffic increased by 1.6% year-over-year in August. The load factor for the month was 86%, indicating that airlines were operating at near-capacity levels.
The airline industry is showing signs of controlled capacity expansion amid volatile fuel costs. This is reflected in forward scheduled capacity growth rates, which are expected to be 2% in September and 3% in both October and November.
Boeing reported 15 new orders and zero cancellations in August, while Airbus reported 67 new aircraft orders with no cancellations for the same period. The number of parked aircraft as a percentage of total fleet stands at 11.3%, up 20 basis points month-over-month.