ASIA PACIFIC. Asia Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 23.3 million international passengers in November, representing a +4.0% year-on-year increase.
Demand in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) grew by +6.2% underpinned by continued strength on long haul travel markets, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said.
The average international passenger load factor rose by 0.7 percentage points to 77.4% for the month after accounting for a +5.1% expansion in available seat capacity.
“Asian airlines carried an aggregate total of 267 million international passengers in the first eleven months of the year, representing continued robust growth in demand, up +5.9% on the corresponding period in the previous year,” said AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman.
“International air passenger demand maintained a strong growth trend throughout 2016, despite geopolitical uncertainties, supported by lower oil prices and widespread availability of affordable air fares.
“The general outlook for the global economy in 2017, including further growth in demand for air travel, remains reasonably positive, but airlines will need to be vigilant over costs, given fluctuations in oil prices as well as exchange rate volatility.”
