Asia Pacific. The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) today reported strong growth in international passenger numbers in July.
Local efforts to encourage travel continued to produce positive results, with relaxed visa policies supporting tourist inflows during the peak summer holiday season.
According to the latest provisional traffic data released by the association, the number of international passengers increased 22.6% year-on-year to 31.9 million. This steady growth has brought traffic to 95.5% compared to the same month in 2019, before the pandemic.
Seat capacity increased by +21.2%, slightly outpacing the +20.5% growth in demand measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK).As a result, average international passenger numbers in July decreased slightly by -0.6% to 82.6%.
The AAPA revealed that passenger numbers increased steadily in July ahead of the summer travel season {Image: Association of Asia Pacific Airlines}
Subhash Menon, secretary general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, said: “The strong demand trends seen in the first half of the year continued in July, with Asian airlines reporting growth in both international passenger and cargo markets.”
“Overall, in the first seven months of the year, international passenger numbers grew robustly by 39% to 208 million, supported by network expansion.”
Looking ahead, he added: “Despite ongoing supply chain disruptions, the travel market outlook remains positive as Asia Pacific airlines continue to benefit from a recovery in business and leisure demand. China-based airlines in particular are seeing robust growth in passenger demand as domestic traffic recovers, driving overall expansion.”
“Airlines in Asia are pursuing new revenue opportunities by launching innovative products and services in response to passenger demand in dynamic markets. At the same time, airlines in the region continue to focus on improving operational efficiency and strengthening sustainability initiatives while maintaining profitability.”
