Monthly traffic reports for the first five months of 2008 from the Airports Council International (ACI) show that traffic growth is slowing, with 3 per cent increase each for passengers and freight according to its full year 2007 World Airport Traffic Report, based on input from 1200 airports worldwide.
“Although we are still expanding, particularly in international traffic, we see some clouds on the horizon: slowing economies in certain nations and regions, the high price of fuel, airline financial difficulties, to name a few,” said ACI’s Director General Angela Gittens. “Long-term forecasts remain positive, nonetheless, at an average of about 4 percent per year over the next 20 years.”
The growth in cargo traffic slowed slightly to 3.2 per cent over the previous year, with 88.5 million metric tonnes handled in 2007. The hub of FedEx airlines, Memphis, was the largest cargo airport in the world, followed by Hong Kong and Anchorage. However, Memphis traffic is predominantly domestic cargo which is why it doesn’t appear on the list of top ten airports handling international freight, where Asian airports dominate.