Asia Pacific Airlines Traffic Results – January 2011

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Preliminary traffic figures for the month of January released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed firm growth in the international passenger and air cargo markets. Asia Pacific based airlines carried a combined total of 16.1 million international passengers in January, an 8.0% increase over the same month last year. In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger traffic grew by 6.5%. Available seat capacity grew by 7.8%, with an average international passenger load factor of 78.5%.

International air cargo demand as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) grew by 6.5% in January compared to the same month last year, whilst offered freight capacity expanded by 9.3%, resulting in a 1.7 percentage point decline in the average international cargo load factor to 65.7%.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General said, “Asia Pacific based carriers started 2011 on a positive note, with continued growth in demand for both passenger and cargo services. For the month of January, the number of international passengers carried exceeded the December figure, underpinned by leisure travel extending from the holiday period and firm demand for premium class seats. January’s freight volumes were also reasonably solid, although growth will be moderating compared to the major rebound seen in 2010.”

He added, “Asia Pacific carriers are projecting further growth in aviation markets this year, with the introduction of new services and frequencies in the coming months.  At the same time, Asian carriers are bracing themselves for new challenges, with sharply higher oil prices already pushing up the cost of air travel and adding to uncertainties over the outlook for continued growth in the global economy.”

ENDS

Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA)

The AAPA is the trade association for scheduled international airlines based in the Asia-Pacific region.  The AAPA permanent secretariat is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with international representation in Brussels and Washington, D.C.  Collectively, the region’s airlines carry 520 million passengers and 15 million tonnes of cargo, representing one-quarter of global passenger traffic and two-fifths of global air cargo traffic respectively, and thus play a critically important role in the ongoing development of global aviation.