ASIA PACIFIC. Asia Pacific airlines recorded a healthy +7.0% year-on-year growth in international passengers in September.
The total number was 23.5 million, according to preliminary traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
In the past nine months a +6.5% increase in the number of international air passengers carried by Asian airlines has been recorded, for a combined total of 220 million.
Source: AAPA
In September, the association said demand in revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms increased by +7.6%, faster than the +6.7% expansion in available seat capacity. This was attributed to continued growth in both long haul and regional markets.
As a result, the average international passenger load factor edged 0.6 percentage points higher to 77.9% for the month.
AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman commented: “Whilst air passenger numbers continue to demonstrate resilience, Asian carriers face challenges in the form of intense competition and cost pressures, as crude oil prices have risen from historical lows.”
