Preliminary traffic figures for the month of March released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed continued soft international air cargo market conditions while air passenger demand, continued to grow.

Air freight volumes for Asian airlines registered a decline of 5.3 per cent despite a pick-up in Chinese exports following the Lunar New Year factory closures. Freight load factors for the region’s carriers remained under pressure, with the average international freight load factor registering a 5.2 percentage point decline to 62.9 per cent, after accounting for a 2.6 per cent expansion in offered freight capacity.

Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general said: “During the first quarter of the year, Asia Pacific airlines saw international passenger numbers increase by a solid 7.5% per cent to an aggregate total of 72.8 million. However, international air cargo demand remained soft, with volumes declining by 6.5 per cent compared to the same period a year ago, reflecting the general slowdown in global trade.”