The prevailing shift of political influence and commercial dynamism towards Asia should result in players from the region playing an increasingly important role in shaping the future of the air transport industry, says Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
“Beyond achieving further commercial success in 2011, the region’s airlines are committed to concerted action and taking leadership on global regulatory issues,†Herdman said.
Preliminary figures for 2010 released by AAPA confirm the strong rebound in traffic demand, bolstered by robust economic growth in Asia and an overall improvement in global economic conditions.
In 2010, Asia Pacific carriers carried 185 million international passengers, 13.0% more than in the previous year.
Passenger traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometre terms (RPK) grew by 9.8%, reflecting particularly strong demand on regional routes.
Capacity growth for the year was a relatively restrained 4.1%, resulting in a 4.1 percentage point improvement in the average international passenger load factor to 78.5%.
Herdman added, “Reported monthly growth rates have naturally moderated as the recovery phase is completed, but encouragingly both passenger and cargo traffic volumes have now surpassed their pre-recession peaks.â€
