Preliminary traffic figures for the month of November released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed that both international passenger and air cargo markets recorded further growth in demand.

International air freight demand accelerated in November, driven by strong growth in shipments of electronic goods going into the year-end festive season. In freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms, air cargo demand increased by 5.6 per cent, with monthly volumes reaching the year’s high. Offered freight capacity grew by a comparatively modest 1.9 per cent, leading to a 2.4 percentage point gain in the average international freight load factor to 68.3 per cent for the month.

Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general said, “Asia Pacific airlines continued to enjoy steady growth in air passenger demand, whilst air freight markets continued to advance on the back of further improvement in consumer sentiment within the region and robust trade with the United States. During the first eleven months of the year, the region’s airlines carried an aggregate total of 233.0 million international passengers, 4.6 per cent more than the same period last year, whilst air freight markets registered a 5.1 per cent increase.”