Asia Pacific Airports Record Y-O-Y Increase of 3.3% in June 2014

Passenger traffic growth slowed down for the month of June 2014, Asia Pacific airports recorded a year-on-year increase of 3.3% while airports in the Middle East posted an increase of 4.4%.

Traffic growth for June 2014 showed mixed results across reporting airports. Among the top five airports, Beijing (PEK) was the busiest but with negligible growth (0.1%), while Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Hong Kong (HKG) posted solid growth of 7.6% and +4.0% respectively. Both Jakarta (CGK) and Dubai (DXB) experienced a decline in growth from last year at 6.9% and 8.5% respectively. The temporary runway closure at Dubai (DXB) continued to have a negative impact on passenger traffic.

For year-to-date passenger traffic from January to June 2014, the Middle East continued to lead the region with a strong increase of 9.0%, while the Asia Pacific posted an increase of 5.0%.

The Middle Eastern airports continued to demonstrate sturdy growth in H1 2014 over last year, with Abu Dhabi (AUH, 19.4%) and Doha (DOH, 14.5%) leading the pack with double-digit growth. Over 90% of reporting airports in the Asia Pacific recorded positive year-on-year growth in H1 2014. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) however, reported a decline of 12.1%, likely contributed by the continuous political unrest in the city since late 2013.

Cargo traffic growth in the region continued the increasing trend but at a slower pace in June 2014. Asia Pacific airports recorded a year-on-year growth of 4.5% for the month of June 2014 while the Middle East recorded a decrease of 3.9%. Year-to-date growth was 5.0% for Asia-Pacific and 2.5% for the Middle East.

The top 5 airports with the highest cargo throughput in H1 2014: Hong Kong (HKG, 6.4%), Shanghai Pudong (PVG, 7.6%), Seoul Incheon (ICN, 3.8%), Dubai (DXB, 1.8%) and Tokyo Narita (NRT, 9.8%). The slowdown in cargo traffic growth in the Middle East was driven primarily by Dubai (DXB)’s temporary runway closure.