Preliminary traffic figures for the month of June released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) confirmed softening air cargo markets while international passenger demand continued to grow.

The recent moderation in air cargo markets extended into the month of June, with demand in freight tonne kilometre (FTK) terms registering a slight 0.5 per cent decline compared to the same month last year. With offered freight capacity increasing by 2.5 per cent for the month, the average international freight load factor fell by 1.9 percentage points to 64.1 per cent.

On the other hand, the region’s airlines carried 21.9 million international passengers in June, 5.9 per cent more than in the same month last year

Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general said: “Air cargo demand grew by 4.8 per cent during the first half of 2015, but the pace of growth has moderated during recent months after the earlier boost in demand due to the US West Coast ports strikes wore off.”

Looking ahead, Herdman said: “Overall, growth in demand for air passenger travel is expected to remain positive, driven by competitive fares and continued growth in regional economies.  The outlook for air cargo markets is more uncertain, with signs of a slowdown in global trade. In general, Asian carriers remain focused on improving profitability, including careful adjustments to route networks in response to changing patterns of demand.”