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Preliminary traffic figures, compiled by the
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), for the month of June
2012 show further steady growth in international passenger demand,
while international air freight markets remain weak.
In the month of June, Asia Pacific airlines
carried 17.0 million international passengers, an increase of 8.5%
compared to the same month last year. In revenue passenger
kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger traffic grew by
8.1%, outpacing the 4.3 % expansion in available seat capacity,
resulting in a 2.8 percentage point increase in the average
international passenger load factor to 80.2% for the month.
International air cargo demand, expressed in
freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms, was 0.8% lower in June
compared to the same month last year, reflecting continued
weakness in global trade conditions. Offered freight capacity
declined by 1.4%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point increase in
the average international air cargo load factor to 67.8%.
“For the first half of 2012, Asia
Pacific airlines recorded an encouraging 8.7% increase in the
number of international passengers carried, supported by
relatively strong regional markets, despite wider concerns about
weaker prospects for the global economy,” said Mr. Andrew Herdman,
AAPA Director General. “On the other hand, air cargo
markets remained depressed, with Asian airlines' international air
cargo traffic, measured in FTK terms, down by 4.3% for the first
six months of the year, reflecting weak consumer confidence in
major developed markets.”
“Although passenger
demand has held up well, weak air cargo demand has undermined
overall revenue growth, whilst cost pressures from high fuel
prices squeezed already thin margins. Oil prices have moderated
from their recent highs, providing a measure of relief, but
prospects for the second half of the year are still overshadowed
by continuing uncertainty over the weak global economic outlook.
Asian airlines are therefore taking a relatively cautious view
with regard to capacity management, and carefully managing costs
throughout the business,” Mr. Herdman added.
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AAPA,
June 2012
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