BA passenger figures slump by 24%

British Airways today showed the impact the September 11 terror attacks was having on its passenger figures as it reported a 24.7% slump in traffic in October.

The airline said premium traffic had been more heavily affected than non-premium during the month.

The October decline, measured against the same period last year was made up of a 36.2% fall in premium and a 22.4% fall in non-premium traffic.

Forward bookings for November indicate a similar traffic decline to October, it said, with the US, Middle East and Japan being the worst affected markets.

The airline said early indications for December suggest a slight improvement on November, although the outlook remains volatile.