Preliminary figures for the month of June released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) reaffirm the strength of the ongoing economic recovery, with significant growth reported for both passenger and freight traffic.
Asia Pacific-based airlines carried a total of 15.1 million international passengers in June, a 25.2 percent gain compared to the depressed volumes seen in the same month last year.
International passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) grew by 19 percent, indicating particularly strong growth on short-haul routes.
Available seat capacity grew by a moderate 6.4 percent, resulting in an 8.5 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 79.5 percent.
Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general said, “Asia Pacific-based airlines have seen a solid recovery in leisure and business travel, as well as robust air cargo demand, with overall traffic back to pre-recession levels.
“The business outlook for the coming months remains broadly positive. Airlines are well positioned to meet the expected growth in demand, through a combination of new aircraft deliveries and further improvements in fleet utilisation.â€
