News
Asia-Pacific cargo markets resilient in August amid continuing passenger woes
September 28th 2021
Strict border controls continued to wreak havoc on Asia-Pacific airlines in August as passenger numbers remained at 4% of August 2019 levels and carriers filled less than 35% of seats. Read More » Figures released on Tuesday by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines continued the bleak news of previous months with August air traffic at just 1.4 million passengers and available seat capacity at 13.7%. But supply congestion in major exporting ports, combined with an uptick in demand, contributed to 26% year-on-year growth in international cargo demand, the AAPA said. Limited belly hold space, resulting from reduced flights, saw freight capacity grow at a slower rate of 17.8% to produce a 76% average international freight load factor for the month - close to the historical high reached in July. “International travel markets in Asia have been in stasis, whilst gradual recovery has resumed in other regions,’’ said AAPA director-general, Subhas Menon. “Meanwhile, air freight demand continues to drive the region’s airline operations.” Menon saw the acceleration of vaccination rollouts in some countries as a positive step for resumption of air travel, but said vaccine inequity remained a major stumbling block [to recovery]. He called on governments to refrain from unilateral border measures “that will only serve to hinder the much needed recovery of air travel and the wider economy”.
