Dragonair's Passenger, Cargo Numbers continue upward trend in June 2005

Dragonair continued to see an healthy growth in both passenger numbers and cargo in June 2005. The number of passengers flying with the airline – 406,891 – climbed 5.2% year-on-year, while the volume of freight – 31,657 tonnes – surged 20.7% in the same period.

“Passenger numbers and freight shipments were stronger than in June last year, partly due to increased frequencies and capacities and partly to greater demand,” said Dragonair CEO Stanley Hui. “Month-on-month there was a slight fall in passenger numbers, but that was a reflection of a seasonal downturn before the start of the summer holidays. May was also a more robust month for leisure travel, when there were two long weekend holidays.

“Among the passenger routes that performed well last month were Taipei, driven by strong demand from Taiwan to Hong Kong and Mainland cities, and Tokyo, which proved popular with groups.

“Cargo, meanwhile, saw a great return to form following the ‘Golden Week’ holiday in May when factories close,” Mr. Hui said. “June is traditionally a quieter month for shipments, but with Mainland exports continuing to power ahead this was not the case last month. Year-on-year the figure was even better, due to increased capacity and our expanded freighter network.

“However, yet again, we saw oil prices hit new highs. It’s a great concern, and the impact on our overall bottom line will be significant.”

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