ACI: Second-half rebound helps limit recession's impact on global traffic

Global passenger traffic dropped 2.7% to 4.4 billion in 2009, according to Airports Council International, which said that a "return to growth activity by year end" helped mitigate the damage caused by "steep declines" in the first quarter. The number of international passengers was down 4.2% to 1.8 billion and total aircraft movements fell 5.5% to 63.9 million. Freight plunged 8.2% to 71.3 million tonnes.

Following the "peak of the crisis" in the first half of last year, the "growing confidence of businesses and consumers in economic recovery," particularly in countries such as Brazil, China and India, helped fuel a slight recovery, ACI said. Global passenger numbers grew in September for the first time last year and remained positive through the fourth quarter.

"We are pleased to see that the global results for 2009 were less depressed than originally anticipated," ACI World DG Angela Gittens said. "We recognize the economic cautions ahead but early indications for January and February [2010] confirm continuing global traffic stabilization."

The Middle East region's 7.1% increase in enplaned and deplaned passengers (to 100.1 million) was the best performance. Asia/Pacific airports reported a 3.2% increase to 1.08 billion and Latin America rose 0.8% to 296.7 million. Europe declined 5.5% to 1.35 billion, North America was down 5.4% to 1.42 billion and Africa dropped 1.8% to 134.6 million. Freight fell in all regions save the Middle East, where it climbed 3.4%. The region also was the only one to report an increase in international passenger traffic (up 7.9%).

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta was the world's busiest airport with 88 million passengers last year, a 2.3% decline from 2008. London Heathrow was second (66 million, down 1.5%), Beijing Capital third (65.3 million, up 16.8%), Chicago O'Hare fourth (64.4 million, down 8.8%) and Tokyo Haneda fifth (61.9 million, down 7.2%).

ATL's 970,235 aircraft movements were the most in the world and represented a 0.8% dip from 2008. ORD, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver International and Houston Intercontinental rounded out the top five. Paris Charles de Gaulle (525,314) ranked seventh and was Europe's busiest. while PEK (488,495) was 10th and had the most movements in the Asia/Pacific. It also was the only airport in ACI's top 20 to report an increase in takeoffs and landings (13.6%).

Busiest cargo airport was Memphis International, home of FedEx, which handled 3.7 million tonnes of freight, up 0.4%.

Through the first two months of 2010, global traffic rose 6.1% to 472.3 million passengers. International passenger numbers soared 7.5% to 216.7 million and domestic traffic increased 1.2% to 250.8 million.