Asia Pacific airlines passenger traffic up 4.5% to 24.4 m in March

Preliminary traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for the month of March 2016 show further growth in international air passenger demand, whereas soft air cargo market conditions persisted.

A total of 24.4 million international passengers were carried by Asia Pacific airlines in March, 4.5% more than in the same month last year. In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger demand registered a corresponding 4.7% growth. Combined with the 6.7% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor fell by 1.5 percentage points to 77.4% for the month.

On the other hand, air freight volumes for Asian airlines registered a decline of 5.3% despite a pick-up in Chinese exports following the Lunar New Year factory closures. Freight load factors for the region’s carriers remained under pressure, with the average international freight load factor registering a 5.2 percentage point decline to 62.9%, after accounting for a 2.6% expansion in offered freight capacity.

“During the first quarter of the year, Asia Pacific airlines saw international passenger numbers increase by a solid 7.5% to an aggregate total of 72.8 million. However, international air cargo demand remained soft, with volumes declining by 6.5% compared to the same period a year ago, reflecting the general slowdown in global trade,” said AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman. “Overall, the growth in demand for air passenger travel remains quite robust, supported by low oil prices and the widespread availability of affordable airfares. Some concerns remain over the global economic outlook, but the region’s airlines are continuing to invest in new aircraft, and products and services to meet the projected growth in consumer demand.”