ASIA PACIFIC. International passenger traffic at Asia Pacific airlines was up 4.4% year-on-year in February, to 29.5 million.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said growth was supported by increased leisure travel demand during the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Combined figures for the first two months of the year show a robust 6.3% increase in the number of international passengers carried by the region’s airlines, to a combined total of 62 million. “Passenger demand remained relatively steady, supported by competitive air fares and overall economic growth,” said AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman.
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Demand as measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased by 4.3% year-on-year, indicating strength in both regional and long haul travel markets, AAPA noted. After accounting for a 4.7% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor eased by 0.3 percentage points to 80.8% for the month.
Looking ahead, Herdman commented: “Stimulatory fiscal policies implemented by selected economies are expected to encourage domestic spending. This should support reasonable growth in the global economy this year, sustaining continued growth in air travel markets.
“Overall, airlines remain proactive in responding to changes in demand conditions, and are exploring new avenues to boost revenue growth whilst managing costs in the face of challenging operating conditions.”
