MEMBER airlines of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) posted higher passenger and cargo volumes last month, a sign that the industry is slowly recovering from the global economic crisis.
Air cargo volume grew 29.8% to 4.35 million tons in February from 3.35 million tons in the same month last year. The increase has bumped the average international air cargo load factor by 10.3 percentage points to 68.5%, even with a 10.2% increase in offered freight capacity.
The passage sector, meanwhile, transported 14.2 million international passengers in February, up 16.9% compared to the same month last year. The average passenger load factor was 79.2%, reflecting stronger demand while available seat capacity was only 2.4% higher than a year ago.
AAPA director general Andrew Herdman said the signs of economic recovery which first became evident in the fourth quarter of 2009 have continued to gather momentum. “For the first two months of 2010 we have seen a 12.8% increase in international passenger numbers, with prospects for further growth in both leisure and business travel in the coming months,” Herdman said.
“International air cargo demand for the first two months of 2010 has recorded a dramatic rebound, up 33.5% compared to the same period last year when the industry was suffering from the worst effects of the slump in international trade.
“While the recovery has been led by the Asia Pacific economies, it is worth noting that the rebound in demand for international air cargo has been broadly based, with both exports and imports from other regions showing renewed vigor.”
