Official Airline Guide Forecasts Loss Of 46 Million Airline Seats For Last Quarter Of 2008

Downers Grove, IL (AHN) - Thousands of air flights are slated to be canceled over the last quarter of 2008 as the international aviation industry struggle with the double whammy caused by expensive jet fuel and the global financial meltdown.

The cut in service will translate into 46 million less airline seats, according to figures compiled by the Official Airline Guide.

In Europe, at least 45 gateways are slated to lose schedule services by December as flights shrink by 83,000 trips within the European Union. If airports from other parts of the world are included, at least 200 airports will stop operations for the meantime.

In the U.S., hardest hit by the belt-tightening measures on an individual and national levels are the domestic routes, expected to fall by 59 percent for the fourth quarter of this year. That is equivalent to 265,000 fewer flights or 21 million less air seats.

Even Asia, where growth has been by leaps and bounds the past few years, will lose 15 million seats from October to December.

Last month, the International Air Transport Association forecast the losses of the global aviation industry will hit $5.2 billion in 2008, said Giovanni Bisinani, director general and chief executive officer of IATA.