Asia Pacific Airlines Traffic Results - April 2013

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Preliminary traffic figures for the month of April released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed further growth in international air passenger traffic, whereas international air cargo markets remained subdued.

Asia Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 17.8 million international passengers in April, 3.4% more than the same month last year. In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger traffic grew by 2.5%, whilst available seat capacity expanded by 4.1%, leading to a 1.3 percentage point decline in the average international passenger load factor to 76.8% for the month.

For Asia Pacific carriers, international air cargo demand as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) registered a slight 0.8% decline compared to the same month last year. Offered freight capacity expanded by 0.9%, resulting in a 1.1 percentage point fall in the average international cargo load factor to 65.2%.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General said, “Overall, the first four months of the year saw a 5.6% increase in the number of international passengers carried by the region’s airlines, whilst international air cargo traffic declined by 3.2%. Sustained growth in the region’s economies continues to drive air travel demand for Asian carriers. On the other hand, air cargo demand remains lacklustre.”

Looking ahead, Mr Herdman, added, “The outlook for international air cargo demand remains clouded by uncertainty over the likely pace of any pickup in world trade flows. On a more positive note, growth in passenger demand will continue to be driven by relatively strong business and consumer confidence levels, particularly in Asia.”