Sustained PAX demand in regional markets

August statistics

by ORIENT AVIATION 

December 1st 2012

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Underpinned by relatively robust Asian economies, international air travel demand of Asia-Pacific based carriers continued to expand in August. The combined number of international passengers carried grew 6.7% to 18.4 million, with domestic demand supporting business and leisure travel markets. Read More »

Available seat capacity increased 3.2%, which resulted in a 1.4 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor (PLF) to 80.4% for the month.

During the first eight months of the year, the region’s carriers recorded an encouraging 7.9% increase in the number of international passengers carried to an aggregate total of 138.1 million.

Led by relatively strong regional travel markets, demand in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms grew 6.4%, whilst available seat capacity increased 4.6%. As a result, the average international PLF of 78.2% was 1.3 percentage points higher than the previous corresponding period.

FREIGHT

Air freight demand of Asia-Pacific carriers continued to reflect weakness in August, with demand as measured in international freight tonne kilometres (FTK) 4% lower than the same month last year.

Combined with a 3.9% contraction in available freight capacity, the average international air freight load factor (FLF) was almost unchanged at 64.7%.

The first eight months of the year saw a 4.4% fall in international air cargo demand due to weak trading conditions. Coupled with a 3.1% decline in freight available capacity, international FLFs for Asia-Pacific carriers averaged 66.1%, 0.9 percentage points lower than the same period last year. Nevertheless, the region’s average international FLF remains significantly higher than the global average of 46.9%.

SEPTEMBER

Preliminary figures for September show that Asia-Pacific airlines carried 16.7 million international passengers in September, 4% more than the same month last year, underpinned by sustained demand in regional travel markets.

In RPK terms, international passenger traffic increased 3.3%, whilst available seat capacity expanded by a relatively slower 2.2%. This resulted in a 0.8 percentage point increase in the average international PLF to 77.8% for the month.

International air cargo demand for Asia-Pacific carriers, as measured in FTKs, was just 0.4% below last year’s level, an improvement on the generally negative trend seen so far this year. Offered freight capacity fell 4.3%, which led to a 2.6 percentage point increase in the average international FLF to 66.6%.

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