CATHAY PACIFIC RELEASES SEPTEMBER TRAFFIC FIGURES

Cathay Pacific Airways transported 69,965 tonnes of freight in September, its highest ever amount in a single month. The strong growth in Cathay Pacific’s cargo volumes was mainly due to the seasonal surge of air cargo exports from Hong Kong. The airline carried a total of 557,543 tonnes of freight over the first nine months of this year, a rise of 17.3% over the same period in 1999.

Cathay Pacific carried a total of 990,985 passengers in September, bringing the total for the year so far to 8.92 million. The airline is therefore well on track to surpass last year’s total of 10.51 million. The passenger load factor in September remained strong at 75.8%.

Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Network Revenue Ian Shiu said: “The strong growth in many Asian economies has helped boost both our passenger and cargo revenue this year. Although total passenger numbers dropped a little compared to August, the overall level of demand is still very positive.”