ASIA PACIFIC. Airlines based in the Asia Pacific region carried a record number of passengers in 2004 and the outlook is buoyant for this year, according to The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
AAPA represents 17* airlines, which carried 117 million passengers last year, up +22.5% from the SARS-ruined 2003 and +7.3% higher than 2002.
AAPA said the record volumes were achieved despite mounting competition from low cost carriers and high oil prices.
“Helped by strong global economic growth, 2004 was a remarkable year in terms of traffic recovery and new growth for the AAPA member airlines,” said AAPA Director-General Andrew Herdman.
“Despite high fuel prices and competitive pricing pressures, the strong traffic growth and tight cost controls led to a general improvement in profitability.”
Herdman said passenger traffic should grow +6-7% this year. AAPA member airlines are expecting the delivery of 73 aircraft in 2005.
* AAPA members are Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Dragonair, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International and Vietnam Airlines.
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