GENEVA — Global revenue passenger kilomtres grew by a robust 6.8% year-on-year in July, the first summer peak month, says IATA.

This was down from 7.7% in the previous month, and just ahead of the five-year average pace of 6.4%. Passenger demand remains on course to grow solidly in 2017 as a whole, however, with stimulus from lower airfares waning, the supportive demand backdrop has moderated.

All told, the strong first half of the year and the robust start to the peak summer period means that 2017 is on course to be another year of above-trend revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) growth. But the moderation in demand drivers suggests that the upward trend in H2 2017 and into 2018 is likely to be weaker than was seen in the same period of 2016.

Year-on-year growth in RPKs slowed to 6.2% in July, from 7.6% in June. The annual growth rate slowed in all regions except Latin America and the Middle East.

North American airlines’ international RPKs grew by 3.5% in year-on-year terms in July, down from 4.4% in June but still ahead of the five-year average pace of 2.9%. Seasonally-adjusted (SA) passenger traffic has held on to the monthly gains achieved earlier in the year. That said, anecdotal evidence suggests that tourists are being deterred by the additional security measures now involved with travelling to the U.S.