Asia Pacific Airlines Traffic Results for July 2012

Preliminary traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for the month of July reveal continued growth in international air passenger traffic, but air freight markets remained depressed.

In aggregate, Asia Pacific airlines carried 18.5 million international passengers in July 2012, 4.9% more than in the same month last year, boosted by robust leisure travel demand.

Measured in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger traffic grew by 3.2%, reflecting stronger growth on shorter regional routes.

Offered seat capacity increased by 3.5%, resulting in an average international passenger load factor of 80.6% for the month, a marginal decline of 0.3 percentage points.

International air cargo demand, expressed in freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms, declined by 5.1%, reflecting persistently weak export markets. Offered freight capacity also fell by 5.0%, leaving the average international air cargo load factor almost unchanged at 67.2%.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General said, “Asia Pacific airlines registered an impressive 8.1% increase in the number of international passengers carried during the first seven months of the year, with air travel demand holding up well despite signs of a general slowdown in global economic activity. However, international air cargo demand fell by 4.4% during the same period, reflecting continued weakness in key export markets ... Airlines still face a very challenging operating environment, given the adverse impact of high oil prices, and the uncertain global economic outlook.”

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