Perishables, machinery and e-commerce all helped Cathay Pacific grow year on year air cargo volumes by 15% in November.
The airline carried 142,601 tonnes of cargo in November, an increase of 15% compared with November 2023. The month’s cargo revenue tonne kilometres (RFTKs) increased 11.9% year on year. The cargo load factor also increased by 1.2 percentage points to 62.3%. Meanwhile, available cargo tonne kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 9.8% year on year as capacity continued to return to the market.
From January to November, Cathay’s cargo tonnage increased by 10.9% to a total of 1,388,501 tonnes, against an 8.9% increase in AFTKs and a 4.8% increase in RFTKs, compared with the same period for 2023.
Chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau said: “In terms of cargo, November tonnage was at similar levels to the previous month, but was 15% higher year on year. We observed healthy market momentum during the peak season, particularly from Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area driven by e-commerce sales events.
“There was high demand for perishables from the Americas and Southwest Pacific, with significant deliveries to Hong Kong and other regional routes in Asia. Additionally, we observed an increase in tonnage of our Cathay Expert solution due to transportation of machinery and engines, especially from Japan. Our mail volumes also started to rise as we approach the festive season.
“November also saw the successful launch of our new marketing campaign for Cathay Courier following the special solution’s relaunch in July this year, with our first video showcasing our time-sensitive delivery capabilities.”
She added: “The Group projects a strong second-half financial result driven by elevated cargo demand and reduced fuel prices.”
Cathay Pacific’s head of global cargo partnerships Chris Bowden and Cathay Cargo vice president Americas Fred Ruggiero recently said Cathay Cargo had experienced a busy peak season and that they were optimistic for 2025.
