Airlines in the Asia-Pacific reported growth in both air cargo demand and international air passenger numbers in January, and the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said the outlook for the new year “appears positive” considering the continuing growth of the global economy.
In the airfreight sector, import-export activity leading up to the Lunar New Year festive period contributed to a 7% increase in international air cargo demand. The average international freight load factor continued to strengthen, recording a 1.3 percentage point increase to 61.8% on a 4.8% increase in offered freight capacity.
On the other hand, a combined total of 22.4 million international passengers flew on the region’s carriers in January, 4.6% more than the same month last year. Underpinned by robust regional travel markets, international passenger demand grew by 3.9%, while available seat capacity expanded by 5.5%, leading to a 1.2 percentage point decline in the average international passenger load factor to 77.4% for the month.
“The year began on a positive note for Asian carriers, with air passenger demand posting a solid increase above the healthy volumes achieved in January last year. Air freight markets continued to see good growth, reflecting sustained consumer demand from North America and Europe for Asia-manufactured goods,” said Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general.
Looking ahead, Herdman said, “The demand outlook appears positive for the coming year, on expectations of further growth in the global economy, whilst lower oil prices should help to keep air travel affordable. Nevertheless, Asian carriers continue to face challenges marked by a competitive operating environment and the need to carefully monitor capacity in line with evolving market conditions.”
HKIA traffic logs solid growth
In the same way, the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) experienced steady growth in all three air traffic categories for January.
For the month, the airport handled 5.2 million passengers, registering year-on-year growth of 1.8%. Flight movements increased 2.1% to 33,385 over the past year, while cargo volume showed an increase of 1.6% to 356,000 tonnes during the month.
Mild growth in passenger traffic was recorded in January, impacted by the Chinese New Year season falling in February this year. The growth was mainly driven by 12% year-on-year growth in transfer/transit traffic. Passenger traffic to and from North Asia and Southeast Asia recorded the most significant increases.
The growth in cargo throughput was driven by imports and transshipments, which were up 10% and 7%, respectively, from a year ago. During the month, cargo throughput to and from North America and Southeast Asia increased most significantly compared to other key regions.
On a rolling 12-month basis, flight movements registered a year-on-year increase of 4.6%, amounting to 391,655 movements. Passenger traffic rose 5% to 63.4 million, while cargo tonnage registered a 5.8% increase to 4.4 million tonnes.
Photo: Mike Powell
