Air traffic decline eases

       Air traffic through Thailand's six key airports including Suvarnabhumi in July showed the smallest contraction so far this year, indicating that the traffic slump may have bottomed out and recovery is on the horizon.
       Passenger throughput declined 6.26%year-on-year to 4.33 million with flight volumes contracting only 1.91% to 29,449 and cargo tonnage down 16.52% to 94,569, according to figures from Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT).
       AoT president Serirat Prasutanond said Thailand's improved political situation, easing of the global recession and the public's receding concern over H1N1 flu had helped slow the contraction.
       February was the worst month this year with a 20.55% contraction. May saw the second-worst decline, of 17%,reflecting fallout from the Songkran political riots in April.
       For the first seven months of this year, passenger throughput was down 14.5% over the same period last year to 29.91 million, cargo tonnage was down 25.6% to 597,582 and flight movements were down 12.3% to 205,642.
       However, international passenger traffic in July continued to show doubledigit downward movement as many tourists shied away from Thailand due to the recession, concerns about domestic politics and H1N1.
       Overall international passenger traffic in the first seven months shrank 17.5%to 18.23 million.
       Domestic passenger traffic turned positive for the first time in July with a 5.9% growth, thanks to heavy promotion of domestic tourism by the government and the travel industry.
       From January to July, domestic passenger traffic was down 9.3% year-onyear to 11.67 million.
       Mr Serirat said high-season air travel in the fourth quarter should lift volume and arrest the fall.
       AoT's best-case scenario for the year,however, is for passenger traffic to equal last year's level of 54.04 million. The worst case is a 10% fall.