Dragonair sees double-digit increases in passengers and cargo

Dragonair has posted double-digit rises in passenger and cargo traffic in August, on both a year-on-year and month-on-month basis.

"The numbers for August were excellent, with double-digit increases all round," said Stanley Hui, Chief Executive Officer of Dragonair. "It's a very encouraging result as we head into the traditionally busier part of the year for both passenger and cargo traffic, and 2002 is on track to be a record-breaking year for us on both fronts. It will be important for us to keep the momentum rolling going forward."

Passenger numbers grew 18.83% compared with August last year to 337,623, which was 12.78% higher than in July 2002. 

"The rise was due to a combination of the increased capacity we have available throughout the network this year and the first full-month contribution of our Taipei route," Mr. Hui said. 

Meanwhile, the increase in the amount of cargo Dragonair carried in August was 17,415 tonnes, a substantial 65% surge over the same month in 2001 and 10.61% up on July 2002.

"Our cargo operation has definitely been a star performer this year, partly because we have been growing rapidly from a small base," said Mr. Hui.

"We saw strong demand for our services from the Pearl River Delta and eastern China. Underpinning this growth for the rest of the year is the fact that China's economy remains on track for strong GDP growth of more than 7%."

Dragonair is a Hong Kong-based airline, operating a fleet of eight A330-300s, four A321s and eight A320s, in addition to two Boeing 747-300 freighters. The airline's passenger network covers 28 destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, while its freighter network connects the markets of Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Taiwan and mainland China.