Both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair saw a modest increase in air cargo tonnage for August compared to the same month last year in a market that continues to be weak.
Cathay Pacific Airways, the Hong Kong-based airlines’ parent company, said the two carriers ferried 122,724 tonnes of cargo and mail last month, a 0.3 percent increase from August 2012.
The cargo and mail load factor fell by 3.2 percentage points to 58.7 percent. Capacity rose by 6.9 percent, while cargo and mail revenue tonne kilometers were up by 1.4 percent.
For the year to date, tonnage has fallen by 1.5 percent compared to a 0.3 percent capacity increase.
“There was no real change in the market situation in August and demand was dampened further by holidays in various destinations across our network,” said Cathay Pacific’s general manager for cargo sales and marketing Mark Sutch. “The Europe and North Asia markets remained particularly soft, though demand on trans-Pacific flights held up reasonably well, thanks in part to the shipment of perishables.”
The company took delivery of its 10th Boeing 747-8 freighter last month which Sutch said means “we are well positioned in terms of capacity for any market upturn in the latter part of the year.”
Photo: Aero Icarus
