Figures for August indicate encouraging growth in air cargo traffic for Asia-Pacific Airlines, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
Buoyed by an increase in air shipments of electronic consumer products, regional airlines registered a 6.2 percent increase in airfreight demand as measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTK) in August year-on-year.
Offered freight capacity grew by a comparatively slower 3.2 percent, resulting in a 1.8 percentage point increase in the average international freight load factor to 63.5 percent.
During the first eight months of this year, Asian airlines registered a 5.1 percent increase in air cargo demand, “with trade activities strengthening on the back of an improvement in China’s economy and an increase in exports to the U.S. and Japan,” said Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general.
He added that demand outlook for freight markets “remains positive, sustained by regional economic growth and continued improvement in the global economy.”
But the optimism is tempered with caution about business conditions remaining challenging, as he noted how surplus capacity and an intensely competitive pricing environment have “constrained revenue growth and led to further erosion of margins.”
He urged airlines to review their fleet and network development plans, as well as maintain a tight rein on costs, to restore profitability.
AAS, Nippon Express go into partnership
In Hong Kong, Asia Airfreight Services (AAS), an air cargo terminal operator and logistics service provider at Hong Kong International Airport, welcomed its new partnership with Nippon Express (H.K.), a global logistics service company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
“The partnership between AAS and Nippon Express aims to facilitate Nippon Express to set up a regional air cargo hub for moving their cargo shipments in the most efficient way, through effectively managing the entire supply chain,” said Asia Airfreight Terminal (AAT), the mother company of AAS.
The cooperation will work on meeting the business requirements and future business expansion needs of Nippon Express, said AAT. It will improve services integration and raise security capabilities for Nippon Express, while allowing AAS to make further improvements to its state-of-the-art facilities, enhance security measures, and promote advanced system and process automation.
Photo: Rafael Garcia-Suarez
