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AAPA: AIR CARGO MARKETS CONTINUE ON RECOVERY PATH
January 8, 2021
Air cargo remained as the bright spot for Asia Pacific carriers as passenger performance remained "severely depressed" with most flights still largely grounded due restrictions related to COVID-19.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said only 1.4 million international passengers were carried by Asia Pacific airlines in November, a mere 4.6% of the 30.8 million recorded in the same month of 2019 — showing lack of progress in the revival of travel wanddemand still held back by ongoing border restrictions amid a resurgence in COVID-19 infections in various countries.
In terms of cargo, AAPA said cargo volumes carried by the region’s airlines increased for the third consecutive month, although demand as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) was still down 11.3% year-on-year.
"Air cargo markets were a silver lining for the region’s carriers, supported by recovery in global manufacturing activity," AAPA said in a statement.
It noted that the rebound in international trade flows also helped buoy freight activities — prompting airlines to increase capacity by deploying converted passenger aircraft, maximising dedicated freighter utilisation, and helping to ease capacity shortages.
Near-term outlook remains "extremely challenging"
“Whilst the recovery in global economic activity has broadened across sectors, international travel remains crippled by border closures affecting 60% of Asia Pacific destinations. The recent escalation in COVID-19 cases and emergence of variant strains, have resulted in the re-imposition of stricter travel restrictions by several States,” AAPA director general Subhas Menon, said.
“The near-term outlook for the airline industry remains extremely challenging. Governments need to move ahead with plans to implement harmonised testing protocols as a part of a multi-layered and risk-based approach towards safely restoring air travel, at the same time as vaccinations are rolled out across the world.”
