Soft conditions in air cargo markets persisted for Asia-Pacific carriers, according to traffic figures for January released recently by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
The weakness in global trade continued to hamper international air cargo markets for the region’s carriers, as reflected in the 0.7% decline in demand as measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTK) for the month, said an AAPA statement released February 29.
Freight load factors remained under pressure, with the average international freight load factor registering a 2 percentage point decline to 59.6%, after accounting for a 2.6% expansion in offered freight capacity, the report added.
Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general, said the usual lift in air cargo shipments seen ahead of the holiday season “had been somewhat muted, as seen in the continued weakness in air cargo volumes.”
Changi Airport volumes rise 4%
On the other hand, for Singapore Changi Airport, cargo shipments showed an improvement in January. In a statement on its website, the airport’s administration said volumes handled for the month went up 4% to 158,000 tonnes compared to the same period last year.
Photo: Maarten Visser
