Business Digest
A boost for PAX numbers
March statistics
July 1st 2012
There was a steady improvement in international passenger demand of Asia-Pacific based airlines in March. The number of passengers carried increased 10.4% to a combined total of 17.2 million compared with the same month last year. Read More »
In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger traffic grew 9.3%, underpinned by robust demand for business and leisure travel within the region. After more than a year of declining load factors, the average international passenger load factor (PLF) for the month climbed 3.3 percentage points to 77.5%, on a 4.5% expansion in available seat capacity.
During the first quarter of 2012, Asia-Pacific airlines carried 7.6% more international passengers compared with the same period in 2011. In RPK terms, international passenger demand grew 6.9%. The average international PLF, at 77.1%, was 0.9 percentage points higher than the same period last year, slightly higher than the global average of 76.4%.
FREIGHT
As a reflection of continued weakness in air freight markets, Asia-Pacific carriers reported a 3.9% decline in international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), in March.
A 4.4% reduction in available freight capacity contributed to a 0.3 percentage point increase in the average international freight load factor (FLF) to 69.8% for the month.
During the first quarter of year, cargo demand fell 3.9%, caused by lingering concerns over weakening consumer demand, particularly in Europe. Offered freight capacity contracted 2%, which resulted in a marginal 1.2 percentage point fall in the average international FLF for the region’s carriers to 65.5% for the month.
As a result the region’s average international FLF for the quarter exceeded the industry average of 49.9% by a significant margin.
APRIL
Preliminary figures for April showed airlines based in the Asia-Pacific carried 17.2 million international passengers in the month, a 12.2% increase compared with the same month last year.
In RPK terms, international passenger demand grew 10.1%, which reflected significantly stronger demand on regional routes. With traffic growth outpacing an 8.5% increase in available seat capacity, the average international PLF was 76.3%, 1.1 percentage points higher than in the same month in 2011.
Conversely, international air cargo traffic registered a 7.6% decline in FTKs compared with the same month last year, a reflection of continued weakness in demand. Even with a 4.8% reduction in offered freight capacity, the average international FLF fell two percentage points to 66.3% for the month.
