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PROLONGED PORT CONGESTION BOOST SEPTEMBER CARGO VOLUMES FOR APAC AIRLINES
October 26, 2021
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) reported that international air cargo markets continued to strengthen in September despite another month of "severe weakness" in international air passenger demand.
The Kuala Lumpur-based organization said Asia Pacific airlines said air cargo demand — measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) — saw a 23.3% year-on-year growth. In August, air cargo demand was up 26% year-on-year.
During that month, offered freight capacity recorded a relatively slower 14.8% year-on-year increase, driving the average international freight load factor to 76.1% for the month.
"Amidst ongoing recovery in the global economy, strong consumer and business sentiment continued to boost trade activity, benefitting air cargo markets. Prolonged congestion at major shipping ports and associated global supply chain disruptions have also led to businesses turning to air cargo to speed up deliveries," the AAPA said in a statement.
For the month, the region’s airlines carried a combined total of 1.2 million international passengers, representing 4.1% of the 30 million recorded in the same month of 2019.
Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General said the “severe weakness” in international passenger numbers seen since the onset of the pandemic reflect the border restrictions enforced by governments across the region.
“As vaccination rates increase, more governments are moving away from zero-COVID approaches towards a risk-managed approach in favour of relaxation of border restrictions for vaccinated travellers. This is a welcome step towards the recovery of air travel. The encouraging increase in ticket bookings in markets where barriers to travel have been lowered also reflect strong travel confidence,” he added.
He noted that for air passenger recovery to gain more substantial momentum, inconsistent health and border measures need to be replaced with harmonised or mutually-recognised protocols that will remove much complexity and confusion for the travelling public.
“We urge more governments to collaborate across borders in adopting an objective risk-based approach in line with WHO and ICAO guidelines to restore global air travel mobility,” Menon said.
