Asia Pacific Airlines Carried 23.5 Million Int. Passengers in September 2016

Preliminary traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for the month of September 2016 show steady growth in international air passenger demand and a further uptick in air cargo markets.

Collectively, the region's airlines carried 23.5 million international passengers in September, representing a 7.0% increase compared to the same month last year. Spurred by continued growth in both long haul and regional markets, demand in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms increased by 7.6%, faster than the 6.7% expansion in available seat capacity. As a result, the average international passenger load factor edged 0.6 percentage points higher to 77.9% for the month.

In spite of the prevailing weakness in trade conditions, air cargo markets experienced further improvement in September, as reflected in the 5.3% growth in demand as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK). The average international freight load factor increased marginally, by 0.5 percentage points to 63.0% for the month, after accounting for a 4.4% expansion in offered freight capacity.

"Air passenger demand continues to grow healthily, as the past nine months saw a firm 6.5% increase in the number of international air passengers carried by Asian airlines to reach a combined total of 220 million," said Mr. Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General. "Air cargo volumes aggregated for the first nine months of the year match those of the same period last year, reflecting the modest upswing in demand in recent months, bolstered by higher shipments of electronics designated for product launches."

Looking ahead, Herdman said, "Whilst air passenger numbers continue to demonstrate resilience, Asian carriers face challenges in the form of intense competition and cost pressures, as crude oil prices have risen from historical lows. In addition, the lack of impetus for a revival in global trade activity may present some headwinds to sustained growth in air cargo markets."

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