Air traffic demand fell sharply in January

Traffic figures for the month of January, released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), showed air freight demand fell sharply during the month, as a result of the earlier timing of the Chinese New Year holidays this year.

International air cargo demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), declined by 13.7% in January compared to the same month last year, reflecting the persistently weak trading environment and the closure of manufacturing plants due to the holidays (see Ti Dashboard – Air Cargo: Carriers). Even with a 5.3% reduction in offered freight capacity, the average international cargo load factor fell by 5.7 percentage points, to 59.6%.

Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General said, "The slump in air cargo demand mainly reflects the earlier timing of the Chinese New Year holidays this year, but is nevertheless also a reminder of the still uncertain outlook for the global economy in the year ahead."

Herdman added, "With Europe sliding into recession, we expect this to be another challenging year for the industry, but remain guardedly optimistic given some tentative signs of recovery in the US and continuing positive momentum here in Asia."

Quelle: eyefortransport
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