September saw continued moderate growth in international air passenger numbers, while air cargo demand declined reflecting stagnant international trade activity, according to traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
The region’s airlines carried 29.1 million international passengers in September, an increase of 3.0% compared to the same month last year. Measured in revenue passenger kilometers, demand grew by 3.4% while available seat capacity expanded by 4.4%, leading to a 0.7 percentage point decline in the average international passenger load factor to 78.6% for the month.
Meanwhile, international air cargo traffic in freight tonne kilometer terms fell by 6.5% year-on-year in September on the back of continued weakness in external demand. Combined with the marginal 0.3% decline in offered freight capacity, the average international freight load factor dropped by 4.0 percentage points to 60.4% for the month.
During the first nine months of the year, Asian airlines in aggregate carried 281 million international passengers, 4.3% more than the same period last year.
“The moderation in growth, compared to the higher rates sustained over recent years, reflects an increasingly challenging economic environment,” Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general, said.
Meanwhile, unresolved trade frictions have undermined business confidence and disrupted global supply chains. Asian airlines saw overall demand for air cargo fall by 5.8% during the first nine months of the year, with the outlook remaining subdued in the near term, he added.
“Operating conditions are challenging for Asian carriers, which face intense competitive pressures against a backdrop of moderating economic sentiment. Nevertheless, airlines are carefully managing capacity expansion, exercising cost discipline, and streamlining operations in a bid to maintain profitability.”
Photo By Trinidade
