Asian airlines November cargo rises 0.9pc, passengers increase 8.4pc

A SLIGHT uptick in November cargo demand and a more substantial gain in passenger volumes year on year were revealed in the latest figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

International air cargo demand in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) was 0.9 per cent higher in November year on year, a slight improvement on the weaker trend in the previous 10 months. Combined with a 1.9 per cent decline in offered freight capacity, the average international air cargo load factor was 1.8 percentage points higher at 67.7 per cent.

Asia Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 17 million international passengers in November, an increase of 8.4 per cent year on year. In revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), international passenger traffic was up 7.9 per cent, while available seat capacity expanded 3.5 per cent, resulting in a 3.1 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 76.7 per cent for the month.

"Air cargo market has had another disappointing year, with international freight traffic down a cumulative 3.6 per cent on last year's levels, reflecting weak demand for Asian exports to the major developed markets, particularly Europe," said AAPA director general Andrew Herdman.

"Airlines responded by accelerating the deployment of newer more fuel-efficient aircraft, and carefully managing capacity to match changing demand patterns," Mr Herdman said.