Business Digest
Region records healthy growth
March 1st 2014
In November, Asia Pacific airlines registered a 5.6% increase in international passengers carried to 18 million. Continued improvement in consumer and business sentiment helped support leisure and business travel markets, mirrored in the growth in demand. Read More » Measured in revenue passenger kilometres, international passenger business grew by 4.0%, whilst available seat capacity expanded by 5.5%, resulting in a 1.1 percentage point fall in the average international passenger load factor, to 75.6%, for the month.
During the first eleven months of the year, 200.3 million international passengers flew on Asia-Pacific airlines, 5.9% more than in the same period last year. From July to November growth accelerated to 7.6% year-on-year, from a 4.5% increase during the first half of 2013, supported by an improvement in the region’s economies, notably China and Japan. RPKs demand increased by 5.1%, ahead of the 4.7% expansion in available seat capacity, which resulted in a 0.3 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor, to 78.2%, for the cumulative period.
Cargo still in doldrums
In November, international air cargo demand of Asia-Pacific airlines strengthened further, with demand as expressed in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) registering a 5.3% increase compared with the same month last year, supported by a pick-up in demand for Asian manufactured goods. Offered freight capacity grew by 6.0%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor, to 67.2%, for the month.
Overall, during the first eleven months of the year, FTKs fell by 0.7% compared with the same period last year. Available freight capacity expanded by 1.0%, resulting in a 1.1 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor to 65.4%.
Asia-Pacific continuance on growth path
Asia-Pacific airlines carried 220 million international passengers in 2013, 12 million more than in the previous year, representing 6.0% growth. Regional economic growth remained a positive driver of increases in business and leisure travel demand, coupled with improving business and consumer confidence in the major developed markets.
Reflecting comparatively strong demand on regional routes, international passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, registered a more moderate 5.2% increase. Combined with a 4.8% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor reached 78.2%, 0.3 percentage points higher compared with the previous year.
International air cargo demand for Asia-Pacific carriers, expressed in freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms, recorded a marginal contraction of 0.6% in 2013, albeit it is an improvement from the steeper declines seen in 2012 and 2011. In spite of the fall in demand, the year saw a 1.1% expansion in cargo capacity, resulting in a 1.1 percentage point decline in the average international freight load factor, to 65.4%.
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This report was compiled by the Research and Statistics Department of the AAPA Secretariat.
