Asia Pacific Airlines Traffic Results – September 2012

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Preliminary traffic figures for the month of September released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed further moderate growth in international passenger traffic, and stable air cargo demand.

Asia Pacific airlines carried a total of 16.7 million international passengers in September, 4.0% more than the same month last year, underpinned by sustained demand in regional travel markets. In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger traffic increased by 3.3%, whilst available seat capacity expanded by a relatively slower 2.2%, resulting in a 0.8 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 77.8% for the month.

For Asia Pacific airlines, international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), was just 0.4% below last year’s level, an improvement on the generally negative trend seen so far this year. Offered freight capacity was reduced by 4.3%, leading to a 2.6 percentage point increase in the average international air cargo load factor to 66.6%.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General said, “For the first nine months of this year, the number of international passengers carried by Asia Pacific airlines increased by an impressive 7.5% compared to the same period last year. However, we are seeing some moderation of that growth trend, in the third quarter the year-on-year growth rate was a more modest 4.9%.”

“For air cargo markets, after experiencing a 3.9% year-on-year volume decline for the first nine months of the year, September was a relatively good month, only marginally below last year’s figure.”

“Overall, the operating environment for Asia Pacific carriers remains quite challenging. Margins have been under pressure from stubbornly high oil prices, and there is continuing uncertainty about the global economic outlook, despite the fact that Asian economies are still maintaining respectable growth rates.”