Asia Pacific air travel still continues to increase
Preliminary traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for November showed international air passenger travel continues to increase while air freight markets remain weak.
Airlines based in Asia Pacific carried 15.7 million international passengers in November 2011, a 4% increase as compared to the same month in 2010.
International air cargo traffic demand, however, suffered a decline in November as a result of continued moderation in expert and import markets. A 6.5% decline in cargo traffic for the month of November 2011 was found, compared to last year.
Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general, said, “Given unresolved concerns about the Eurozone debt crisis, and wider uncertainty about the global economic outlook for 2012, Asian carriers are bracing themselves for another tough year ahead. Nevertheless, the region’s carriers are still relatively well placed to benefit from future growth opportunities, and the outlook for the longer term remains positive, as evidenced by fleet expansion plans and the establishment of new business ventures.”