Business Digest
Asia Pacific International Passenger growth continues
March 1st 2015
In November, Asia-Pacific airlines carried 21.1 million international passengers, which reflected a 5.4% increase over the same month last year. Growth was underpinned by robust trade activity, which helped support business related travel. International passenger demand, in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), grew 3.7%, a reflection of strong regional markets. Read More » The declining trend in load factor persisted, with a 0.4 percentage point drop in the average international passenger load factor, to 74.8%, for the month after accounting for a 4.3% expansion in available seat capacity.
In the first eleven months of the year, the region’s airlines carried 233.1 million international passengers, 4.6% more than in the same period last year. RPK demand increased by 4.5%, whilst available seat capacity grew by 6.0%, which led to a 1.1 percentage point fall in the average international passenger load factor, to 76.9%.
Asia-Pacific cargo growth outstrips capacity expansion
For Asia Pacific airlines, international freight demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), increased by an encouraging 5.7% in November, on the back of a continued rise in consumer demand in the region and an increase in air shipments to the US. Offered freight capacity grew by a comparatively modest 1.8%, which resulted in a 2.5 percentage point rise in the average international freight load factor, to 68.4%, for the month.
In the 11 months to November 30, the region’s carriers saw a 5.3% increase in international freight traffic. Offered freight capacity grew by 4.0%, which produced a 0.8 percentage point rise in the average international freight load factor, to 64.9%, which remained significantly higher than the global average of 49.2%.
Asia-Pacific Airlines report better business in 2014
Preliminary figures for the full 2014 year show that Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) carried 256.1 million international passengers in 2014, an annual increase of 4.8% from the previous year. Sustained growth in Asian regional economies and robust trade activity, supported by stronger US markets, drove business and leisure travel demand. However, the combined 4.7% increase in international passenger traffic, in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, was slightly outpaced by a 6.0% expansion in available seat capacity, which led to a 1.0 percentage point decline in the average international passenger load factor, to 77.0%, for the year.
An upsurge in exports from manufacturing hubs in the region produced a rebound in international air cargo markets for the year, when demand, FTKs, grew by a solid 5.4% compared with the previous year. Available freight capacity grew at a relatively modest pace of 4.1%, which resulted in a 0.8 percentage point increase in the average international freight load factor, to 64.9%.
* Click here for a comprehensive AAPA monthly statistics digest.
This report was compiled by the Research and Statistics Department of the AAPA Secretariat.
