Business Digest
Business healthier for Asia-Pacific carriers
February 1st 2014
International passenger demand at the region’s airlines continued their upward trend with 18.5 million passengers carried in October, an 8.1% increase over the same month last year. Read More » An overall improvement in the global economy, marked by new evidence of recovery in the Eurozone and the US economy helped drive demand for both business and leisure travel. Revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) on international routes rose 8.3%. Available seat capacity expanded 7.7%, which produced a 0.4 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor, to 77.0%, for the month.
The Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines said in January that 182.3 million international passengers flew on Asia-Pacific airlines in the first ten months of the year, which was “an encouraging” 5.9% increase compared with the same period last year. The combined 5.2% increase in RPKs and an 4.6% expansion in available seat capacity led to a 0.4 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 78.4% for the cumulative period, slightly under the global average of 79.8%.
Cargo upswing at region’s airlines
After a prolonged period of weakness, international air cargo demand at Asia-Pacific airlines recorded an upswing in October. A rebound in trade activity contributed to the increase, with freight tonne kilometres (FTK) recording a 2.1% increase compared with October 2012. year. Freight capacity grew by 4.1%, which resulted in a 1.3 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor, to 66.0%, for the month.
The cumulative decline in FTKs narrowed to 1.3% during the first ten months of the year. Available freight capacity edged 0.4% higher, which produced a 1.2 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor, to 65.1%.
Airlines reap benefit of healthier economy
The region’s carriers registered a 6.7% increase in international passenger numbers, to 18.2 million in November, with continued regional economic confidence supporting business and leisure travel demand. Measured in revenue passenger kilometres, international passenger demand grew by 5.1%. Available seat capacity expanded by 5.6%, which resulted in a 0.4 percentage point fall in the average international passenger load factor, to 76.3% for the month.
For Asia-Pacific airlines, international air cargo demand in freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms registered a solid 5.4% increase over the same month in 2012, which followed a pickup in global demand for Asian exports. However, the average international freight load factor still edged downwards, registering a 0.5 percentage point fall, to 67.2%, in November, after a 6.1% expansion in freight capacity.
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This report was compiled by the Research and Statistics Department of the AAPA Secretariat.
