Asia Pacific Airlines Carried 24.4 Million Passengers in March 2016

Preliminary traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for the month of March 2016 show further growth in international air passenger demand, whereas soft air cargo market conditions persisted.

A total of 24.4 million international passengers were carried by Asia Pacific airlines in March, 4.5% more than in the same month last year. In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, international passenger demand registered a corresponding 4.7% growth. Combined with the 6.7% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor fell by 1.5 percentage points to 77.4% for the month.

On the other hand, air freight volumes for Asian airlines registered a decline of 5.3% despite a pick-up in Chinese exports following the Lunar New Year factory closures. Freight load factors for the region's carriers remained under pressure, with the average international freight load factor registering a 5.2 percentage point decline to 62.9%, after accounting for a 2.6% expansion in offered freight capacity.

"During the first quarter of the year, Asia Pacific airlines saw international passenger numbers increase by a solid 7.5% to an aggregate total of 72.8 million. However, international air cargo demand remained soft, with volumes declining by 6.5% compared to the same period a year ago, reflecting the general slowdown in global trade," said Mr. Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General. "Overall, the growth in demand for air passenger travel remains quite robust, supported by low oil prices and the widespread availability of affordable airfares. Some concerns remain over the global economic outlook, but the region's airlines are continuing to invest in new aircraft, and products and services to meet the projected growth in consumer demand."

AAPA Assembly of Presidents

HD videos from the AAPA Assembly of Presidents in November 2015 in Bali: AAPA Assembly of Presidents 2015 Closing Press Conference - HD, Andrew Herdman's Welcome Address at AAPA Assembly of Presidents (November 2015) in Bali - HD, Future of Air Travel - Interview with Ilya Gutlin President, Asia Pacific of SITA, Aviation Industry Update, Indonesia's Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ignasius Jonan giving Keynote Address, Mr. M. Arif Wibowo, President and CEO of Garuda Indonesia, Greg Gilchrist, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for Sabre Airline Solutions, and The Ritz-Carlton, Bali Interview with General Manager - Karim Tayach. 

See other recent news regarding: Traffic, AAPA