(26 August 2022, 11:08 +07)
Preliminary traffic figures from the Association
of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) show the strong recovery in
international air passenger markets continued unabated in July
2022.
The region’s airlines flew a combined total of
11.3 million international passengers in July, surpassing the 10
million mark for the first time since February 2020 when the
COVID19 pandemic led to a collapse in global travel markets.
The average international passenger load factor
reached a pandemic high of 80% for the month, as demand measured
in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) rose by 546.7% year-on-year,
significantly outpacing the 157.3% expansion in available seat
capacity.
By contrast, air cargo markets weakened further,
set against a backdrop of falling export orders alongside
worsening business and consumer confidence levels.
Philippine Airlines Airbus A333 reg: RP-C8766. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com
For the month,
international air cargo demand in freight tonne kilometres (FTK)
dropped markedly, by 11.6% year-on-year, whilst freight capacity
offered held relatively steady, edging just 0.4% lower. As a
result, the average international freight load factor declined by
8.6 percentage points to 67.8% for the month.
“Growth in travel markets continued to
accelerate in July, bringing the total number of international
passengers carried to 43 million in the first seven months of the
year, almost five-fold more than the 9 million recorded during the
same period in 2019. However, full recovery remains a long way
off, with traffic in July averaging only 34% of the corresponding
pre-pandemic month,” said Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General. “Meanwhile, prevailing supply
chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and geopolitical
tensions further dampened demand for air shipments. Nevertheless,
the robust recovery in passenger travel is supporting the
industry’s return to profitability, even though cost pressures
abound.”
Looking ahead, Mr. Menon said, “Overall, 2022
looks to be a better year by far, although there will be bumps in
the road to recovery. Immediate challenges include operational
constraints resulting from manpower shortages, in addition to
rising costs amid a distinct slowdown in global economic growth
... To further enhance the
industry’s resilience, AAPA continues to urge stakeholders to work
closely with the aim of expanding smooth, safe and sustainable air
connectivity, given the significant contribution of air transport
to economic growth and social development.”
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