Asia Pacific airlines have seen freight tonne kilometres (FTK) for 2014 rise by 5.4 per cent to 63.2 billion, because of rising exports from the regions manufacturing hubs, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
Asia Pacific airlines have seen freight tonne kilometres (FTK) for 2014 rise by 5.4 per cent to 63.2 billion, because of rising exports from the regions manufacturing hubs, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
In December, FTK fell to 5.6 billion from 5.8 billion in November. Volumes have risen and fallen throughout the year, starting at 4.7 billion in January, before slumping to four billion in February. March saw a spike in FTK, up to 5.7 billion, before falling to 5.1 billion in April. For May and June, FTK rose to 5.2 billion before increasing to 5.4 billion in July. It dropped to 5.2 billion for both August and September before rising to 5.6 billion in October.
AAPA director general, Andrew Herdman says: “Air cargo markets experienced a welcome upswing in 2014, with the second half of the year registering six per cent growth compared to the same period of 2013, following several years of stagnant demand.”
Herdman says despite the positive figures, airlines in the region still need to work hard to restore profitability. “Airlines will need to closely monitor market movements and align future capacity increases with the actual increase in demand, whilst seeking further operating efficiencies to restore margins to more sustainable levels.”
Available freight tonne kilometres (AFTK) increased by 4.1 per cent in 2014 to 97.3 billion. In December, AFTK rose by 4.7 per cent to 8.5 billion, one of the larger increases of the year. In January, AFTK rose year-on-year by 5.3 per cent, followed by a small increase in February of 1.6 per cent. In March, AFTK rose by 5.9 per cent, and April was up by 5.3 per cent. May was up by four per cent followed by rises of 3.4 per cent and 3.2 per cent in June and July.
The AFTK increased by 3.2 per cent in August, and by four per cent in September. In October, AFTK rose by 3.8 per cent and by 1.9 per cent in November.
The load factor for 2014 rose by 0.8 percentage points to 64.9 per cent. The load factor in January was 61.3 per cent, dipping to 61.2 per cent in February, the lowest level for the year, before peaking in March at 68.4 per cent. In December, it fell to 65.5 per cent from 68.3 per cent in November.
