INTERNATIONAL cargo and mail traffic in the Philippines dropped 4.53% in the first eight months of the year, according to latest statistics from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB)
Inbound and outbound cargoes from January to August totaled 180,645,964 kilograms, slightly lower than last year's 189,225,058 kg.
Even if it did not submit cargo figures for July and August, Philippine Airlines' (PAL) total for the first half of the year was still higher than other airlines' total for the first eight months, making it the leading international cargo carrier for the period. The flag carrier moved 25,828,227 kg for the first half of the year, lower than the 28,340,464 kg it handled in 2002.
Second top cargo carrier was United Parcel Services (UPS) which reported handling 18,497,184 kg, a whopping 168.67% increase from last year's 6,884,643 kg. UPS, whose hub is located in Clark, Pampanga, is currently lobbying for the granting of the Seventh Freedom right to strengthen its domestic operations in the country.
Hong Kong carrier woes
Cathay Pacific ranked third for the January-to-August period, handling a total of 15,186,884 kg. The figure is 21.76% lower than the total load last year of 19,101,010 kg. The Hong Kong-based carrier saw its cargo traffic slide in August to 1,823,764 – a 38.83% dip from 2,981,406 kg handled in August 2002. The drop resulted from significant cuts in flight services as a direct result of the SARS outbreak.
Korean Air's cargo and mail traffic saw a 1.87% uptick – from 13,111,334 kg to 13,356,896 kg, placing it in fourth spot for the eight-month period. August figures, however, saw a 9.5% decline to 1,702,125 kg vis-a-vis the 1,880,870 kg recorded in the same month last year.
In fifth place was Singapore Airlines which handled 12,042,790 kg, down 8.25% from last year's 13,125,052 kg. August shipments also fell 2.83% to 1,735,554 kg
compared to August 2002's 1,786,036 kg.
Thai Airways came in sixth with 9,227,986 kg, down 6.5% from 9,869,872 kg moved in 2002's first eight months.It saw shipments slide 18.26% in August to 1,063,126 kg from 1,300,683 recorded in the same month last year.
Also in the top ten were Northwest Orient, which carried 8,896,994 kg from January to August, up 13.72% from last year; Nippon Cargo, which moved 8,536,354 kg, down 26.33%; Eva Air, with a total of 7,064,849 kg, also down 21.36%; and Asiana Airlines, with 6,485,323 kg, down 5.93% from last year.
