AAPA Reports Asia Pacific Airlines Traffic Results for June 2013

Preliminary traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for the month of June 2013 show sustained growth in international passenger traffic, but prolonged weakness in air cargo markets.

Asia Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 18.3 million international passengers in June, a 7.1% growth compared to the same month last year.

International passenger traffic, in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, grew by 5.7% whilst available seat capacity expanded by 6.4%, resulting in a modest 0.5 percentage point fall in the average international passenger load factor to 79.6% for the month.

International air cargo demand, expressed in freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms, was 2.2% lower in June compared to the same month last year, reflecting continued weakness in key export markets. Offered freight capacity increased marginally, by 0.3%, leading to a 1.7 percentage point fall in the average international air cargo load factor to 66.2%.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General said, "During the first half of the year, Asia Pacific airlines carried a total of 107 million international passengers, a 5.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Demand for air travel remains relatively robust, maintaining the established growth trend, and still outpacing expectations of more moderate growth in the wider economy. Air cargo markets, however, remain depressed, with Asian airlines reporting a 2.4% decline in freight traffic for the first six months of the year, reflecting persistent weakness in global trade conditions."

"Prospects for the second half of the year remain challenging, given the underlying uncertainty over the global economic outlook, but Asian airlines are still confident about future growth prospects and are continuing to invest in further route development and customer service initiatives," Mr. Herdman added.