PAX figures show healthy growth

March statistics

by ORIENT AVIATION 

July 1st 2013

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Underpinned by robust business and leisure travel markets, Asia-Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 18.9 million international passengers in March, a strong 8.8% increase compared to the same month last year. Read More »

In revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) terms, international passenger traffic grew 6.8%, whilst available seat capacity expanded 4.5%. This led to a 1.8 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor (PLF) to 79.3% for the month.

During the first quarter of the year, passenger numbers grew 6.3% on the back of Asia’s strong economic growth. The average international PLF rose 1.2 percentage points to 78.3% during the same period, on a combined 4.7% increase in RPKs and a 3.1% expansion in available seat capacity.

FREIGHT 

Market weakness in air freight persisted in March with international air cargo demand of Asia-Pacific based carriers registering a 3.2% decline in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) compared to the same month last year. Available freight capacity contracted 1.7%, which resulted in a 1.1 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor (FLF) to 68.7% for the month.

During the first three months of the year, international freight demand experienced a 4% decline, a reflection of continued weakness in key export markets. Combined with a 3.4% fall in available freight capacity, the average international FLF of Asia-Pacific carriers was 65.1%, 0.4 percentage points lower than the same period last year.

APRIL

Preliminary statistics showed that Asia-Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 17.8 million international passengers in April, 3.4% more than April last year. In RPK terms, international passenger traffic grew 2.5%, whilst available seat capacity expanded 4.1%. This led to a 1.3 percentage point decline in the average international PLF to 76.8% for the month.

International air cargo demand, as measured in FTKs, registered a slight 0.8% decline for Asia-Pacific carriers compared to the same month last year. Offered freight capacity expanded 0.9%, which resulted in a 1.1 percentage point fall in the average international FLF to 65.2%.

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This report was compiled by the Research and Statistics Department of the AAPA Secretariat.