CATHAY PACIFIC RELEASES JULY TRAFFIC FIGURES

Cathay Pacific Airways carried substantially fewer passengers and cargo in July compared to a year earlier due to the combined impact of Typhoon Utor and the industrial action by its pilots’ union. During the month, the airline carried 851,074 passengers, a decline of 22% compared to the same month last year. The amount of cargo carried was 23% down at 49,735 tonnes.

For the first seven months of the year, total passenger numbers have now declined by 1.5% compared to the same period a year earlier, while freight carried has fallen by 8% reflecting the weak air cargo market. The cargo load factor for the period was 65% compared to 72% a year earlier.

Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Network Revenue Ian Shiu said: “Our traffic figures for July are obviously greatly distorted by the impact on our operations of the pilots’ industrial action and Typhoon Utor. Nevertheless, even without those factors, global aviation markets are showing clear signs of weakness.”