Business Digest
Asia-Pacific International Passenger continues to rise
June 1st 2015
Carriers experienced a strong rise in passenger demand in February, underpinned by an increase in leisure travellers during the Chinese New Year Lunar period. In aggregate, the region’s airlines carried 21.9 million international passengers during the month, an increase of 12.3% compared with the same month last year. Read More » Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) terms, international passenger demand grew by 10.5%, whilst available seat capacity expanded by 8.1%, leading to a 1.7 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor, to 78.5%, for the month.
Taken together, the first two months of the year saw an encouraging 8.4% increase in passenger numbers, reflecting an acceleration in growth compared with the 4.9% rise achieved in 2014. Expectations for growth in passenger demand remains intact in the coming months, with lower fuel prices supporting an increase in spending and continued growth in the global economy.
Asia-Pacific international freight traffic jumps 20.7%
Asia- Pacific carriers recorded an impressive increase in air cargo demand in February, with a 20.7% jump in volumes in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) compared with the same month last year. This was largely a result of the combined impact of an increase in demand for air shipments relating to the Chinese New Year festive season, coupled with the switch from maritime shipments to air cargo following disputes at U.S. west coast ports.
But a 12.6% t increase in offered freight capacity meant the large jump in demand only led to a 4.3 percentage point increase in the average international freight load factor, to 65.4%, in February.
Overall, for the first two months of the year, the region’s carriers saw a 12.9% increase in air freight demand. Key demand drivers for the region’s air cargo markets remain positive. Sustained growth in regional economies, coupled with an improvement in business and consumer confidence in the U.S. should help support growth in trade activities in the coming months.
Asia-Pacific international traffic forecast continues strong upward trend
Boosted by leisure travel towards the end of the Lunar New Year period, the region’s carriers achieved a strong 11.3% increase in international passengers carried to reach a combined 23.3 million in March. In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger demand registered a corresponding 11.1% growth, exceeding the 7.3% expansion in available seat capacity, which resulted in a 2.7 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor, to 78.4%, for the month.
International air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms, had growth of 1.7% in March, in contrast to the much higher rates of expansion recorded in the first two months of the year. The average international freight load factor edged 0.4 percentage points lower, to 68.3%, on a 2.4% increase in offered freight capacity.
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This report was compiled by the Research and Statistics Department of the AAPA Secretariat.
