Asia's airlines have become increasingly bullish about the state of the market after seeing traffic rise strongly since the start of this year (see Analysis page 74).
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), which represents the interests of 17 major airlines in the region, says February traffic figures indicate the industry is seeing some stability again, and initial indications are that March and April numbers were even stronger, a situation they hope will be sustained as the year goes on.
International revenue passenger kilometres for AAPA members grew 0.2% year-on-year in February, while the number of passengers carried rose 3.9%. "Load factor is no longer a problem, and sustained growth is visible," says AAPA director general Richard Stirland.
Most carriers still feel that traffic is "fragile and very price sensitive", Stirland says, but the February figures "nonetheless reflected the continuing recovery of passenger travel demand, especially on the short-haul routes".
Source: Airline Business
