Asian airlines post robust rise in international passenger numbers in November

ASIA PACIFIC. International passenger numbers across Asia Pacific carriers increased +9.3% year-on-year in November 2017, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

The region’s airlines carried 25.9 million international passengers in the month. Traffic was boosted by business and leisure travel demand resulting from the continuing upswing in the global economy, AAPA stated.

Demand in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) increased +9.4% and available seat capacity expanded +7.3%. This lead to a +1.5% increase in the average international passenger load factor to 78.8% for the month.

AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman commented: “The first 11 months of the year saw a healthy +6% increase in the number of international passengers carried by Asian airlines to a combined total of 288 million.”

Herdman added: “2017 is expected to end on a positive note for both passenger and cargo traffic given current trends. With the global economy riding on positive business and consumer confidence levels amid continued expansion in order books, the demand outlook for Asian carriers remains positive. In the meantime, the region’s airlines remain focused on effectively managing capacity in response to evolving patterns of market demand as well as improving operational efficiency.”

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