ASIA PACIFIC. International airline passenger demand in Asia Pacific grew sharply by +19% year-on-year last month to reach a combined total of 31 million.
That’s according to preliminary October traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), which reveals that traffic volumes for the month were almost back to 2019 levels, at 98.6%.
AAPA noted the robust travel demand across the region was boosted by what it described as “healthy leisure and corporate travel appetites”.
Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), international passenger demand increased +19.7% year-on-year, underpinned by growth in long-haul sectors.
The higher demand exceeded the +18.6% rise in available seat capacity, driving a 0.8 percentage point growth in the average international passenger load factor to +81.2% for the month.
AAPA Director General Subhas Menon commented: “October was another strong month for Asia Pacific airlines, with a total of 303 million international passengers carried for the first ten months of the year, a +33% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.”
Looking ahead, Menon said: “The outlook for travel markets remains positive, buoyed by growing demand in both leisure and business segments. However, challenges remain for carriers in meeting the demand, notably due to supply chain disruptions and delays in aircraft deliveries.” ✈
