Russia Q1 Air Passengers Down 21.4 Percent

Russian air passenger numbers shrank by over a quarter, year-on-year, in the first three months of 2009, data showed on Wednesday in a further sign that people are cutting back as the global downturn bites.

Passenger numbers fell 21.4 percent in the first quarter to 7.46 million, industry watchdog Transport Clearing House said.

Air freight -- a tiny fraction of all Russian freight -- shrank by a third in the first quarter to 127,109 tonnes, it added. Rail freight, a broader indicator of economic activity, shrank by over a quarter in the same period.

Russians' spending has been curbed by job losses and wage cuts as the once-buoyant economy enters its first recession in a decade. Separate data on Wednesday showed consumer confidence hit a 10-year low in the first quarter.

The loss of about 30 percent in the value of the ruble has also made foreign travel far more expensive.

Russian officials forecast that passenger numbers could fall by around 20 percent this year.