"No sign of recovery in sight" for Asian carriers
Preliminary September 2020 traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (Aapa) showed that both international passenger and cargo demand is "at markedly depressed levels, with no sign of recovery in sight". Whilst manufacturing conditions further improved globally, some Asian economies continue to face weakness in exports.
International air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (ftk), fell by 17.5% year-on-year in September. Offered freight capacity declined by 29.9%, leading to a 10.6 percentage point increase in the average international freight load factor, to 70.6% for the month.
Director General Subhas Menon: "Aapa remains committed to working with governments and industry stakeholders to safely restart international air travel as a matter of urgency." (ah)