“Passenger demand grew unabated, while air cargo markets ended the year on a high note," AAPA's Menon said. — Reuters
SINGAPORE: The international passenger traffic carried by Asian airlines grew solidly by 161% in 2023, says the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) director-general Subhas Menon.
The AAPA released its preliminary traffic figures for the full year of 2023, yesterday.
“Passenger numbers averaged 72% of 2019 pre-pandemic levels, up significantly from 28% in 2022,” said Menon in a statement.
While international air cargo demand declined by 2.8% for the full year, Menon said the last quarter of 2023 saw an 8.2% increase compared to the previous corresponding period. He added that overall, 2023 was a good year for the region’s carriers.
“Passenger demand grew unabated, while air cargo markets ended the year on a high note. The gradual restoration of flight frequencies and city-pair connections over the course of the year provided more options for travellers, further stimulating demand,” he said.
However, Menon said, as operations were progressively restored, airlines faced capacity constraints in addition to increased cost pressures driven by volatile fuel prices, a strong US dollar, and inflationary impacts on operations.
According to the AAPA, for the year, the region’s airlines recorded a 161% increase in the number of international passengers carried to a combined total of 278.5 million.
In terms of revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), demand rose by 131%, reflecting strength in short-haul markets.
The increase in demand was supported by a 106.2% expansion in available seat capacity for the year, as airlines restored flights within the region and across regions.
The international-passenger load factor returned to pre-pandemic levels with an average of 80.9% in 2023, an 8.7 percentage point increase compared with 2022. — Bernama
