Asia Pacific Airlines Traffic Results for August 2010

Preliminary figures compiled by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for the month of August 2010, show continued solid growth in both passenger and air freight demand.

Asia Pacific-based airlines carried a total of 16.8 million international passengers in August, reflecting a 12.4% increase compared to the same month last year.

International passenger traffic as measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) grew by a slightly more conservative 8.4%, indicating particularly strong demand on regional short-haul routes.

Careful capacity management saw offered seat capacity grow by 5.3%, which led to a 2.3 percentage point improvement in the average passenger load factor to 81.2%.

International air cargo traffic as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) registered 25% growth compared to the same month last year.

Even with a 20.7% expansion in offered freight capacity, the average international cargo load factor increased by 2.4 percentage points to 68.9%.

Commenting on the results, Mr Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General said, “Strong demand for air travel and air cargo shipments in August provide further confirmation of the robustness of the ongoing economic recovery across the Asia Pacific region. Overall, for the first eight months of the year we have seen 14.9% growth in the number of international passengers carried, and an even more dramatic 32.1% rebound in the volume of international air cargo. As a result of the surprisingly sharp V-shaped recovery, traffic levels for Asian carriers have now surpassed the high water marks set before the global recession. The combination of strong volume growth, disciplined capacity management, and an improving mix of business boosted by the recovery in corporate travel, have all helped to restore airline profitability, with Asia Pacific airlines leading the way.”

“The outlook for the remainder of the year remains broadly positive, although reported growth rates are expected to stabilise as the recovery phase is completed. Looking ahead to 2011, we anticipate further growth in demand for air travel, in line with historic trends, despite some uncertainties regarding the uneven nature of the global economic recovery,” added Mr. Herdman.

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