There is further evidence that Asian carriers are leading the parade for increased cargo volumes.
Preliminary traffic figures for November released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) show that accelerating international air freight demand was driven by strong growth in electronic goods.
In freight tonne km (FTK) terms, air cargo demand increased by 5.6 per cent, with monthly volumes reaching the year's high. Offered freight capacity grew by a “comparatively modest” 1.9 per cent, leading to a 2.4 percentage point gain in the average international freight load factor to 68.3 per cent for the month.
Commenting on the results Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general said: "Asia Pacific airlines continued to enjoy steady growth in air passenger demand, whilst air freight markets continued to advance on the back of further improvement in consumer sentiment within the region and robust trade with the US.
“During the first eleven months of the year, the region's airlines carried an aggregate total of 233m international passengers, 4.6 per cent more than the same period last year, whilst air freight markets registered a 5.1 per cent increase."
Herdman added: "Whilst the demand outlook for Asian airlines remains encouraging, market competition is still intense, putting pressure on yields. The recent decline in oil prices provides some relief, although the impact on airline profitability will also vary according to individual fuel hedging polices."
Global airline association IATA has already identified Asia-Pacific carriers as a key regional cargo leader, along with the Middle East
IATA stated that “the most significant growth” in November was recorded by carriers in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, at 5.9 per cent and 12.9 per cent, respectively.
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