PHILIPPINE air traffic fell 9.13% for the first nine months of the year, according to preliminary data gathered by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
From 216,209,274 kilograms (kg), the total air cargo throughput and mail delivered into and out of the Philippines slipped to 196,476,109 kg (see table). Incoming cargoes reached 88,915,413 kg and outgoing cargoes, 107,560,696 kg.
International Cargo and Mail Statistics
| By airline (January to September 2003 vs 2002) | 2003 JAN TO SEPT | January to September | 2002 JAN TO SEPT | January to September | ||
| Incoming | Outgoing | TOTAL | Incoming | Outgoing | TOTAL | |
| 1 Philippine Airlines | 10,671,649 | 15,156,578 | 25,828,227 | 17,183,114 | 24,906,454 | 42,089,568 |
| 2 United Parcel Service | 7,507,356 | 13,155,871 | 20,663,227 | 3,493,281 | 4,799,966 | 8,293,247 |
| 3 Cathay Pacific | 10,019,775 | 9,666,586 | 19,686,361 | 11,498,292 | 11,268,339 | 22,766,631 |
| 4 Korean Air | 5,995,665 | 8,752,145 | 14,747,810 | 5,296,164 | 9,659,832 | 14,955,996 |
| 5 Singapore Airlines | 7,135,738 | 6,583,796 | 13,719,534 | 8,411,333 | 6,536,018 | 14,947,351 |
| 6 Nippon Cargo | 3,468,221 | 6,511,302 | 9,979,523 | 5,013,990 | 8,137,650 | 13,151,640 |
| 7 Northwest Orient | 3,976,734 | 5,769,653 | 9,746,387 | 3,408,015 | 5,323,327 | 8,731,342 |
| 8 Eva Air | 4,296,815 | 4,520,748 | 8,817,563 | 5,724,156 | 4,947,379 | 10,671,535 |
| 9 Japan Airlines | 5,482,737 | 7,331,664 | 1,731,027 | 5,856,705 | ||
| 10 Asiana Airlines | 2,214,284 | 5,029,152 | 7,243,436 | 2,341,376 | 5,501,920 | 7,843,296 |
| 11 Federal express | 4,756,462 | 2,196,954 | 6,953,416 | 5,585,911 | 1,962,730 | 7,548,641 |
| 12 KLM | 3,748,835 | 2,396,676 | 6,145,511 | 3,728,058 | 2,129,527 | 5,857,585 |
| 13 Thai Airways Int’l | 5,221,835 | 504,980 | 5,726,815 | 5,482,718 | 3,748,935 | 9,231,653 |
| 14 Pacific East Asia Cargo | 2,289,251 | 3,261,509 | 5,550,760 | 4,164,958 | 4,270,227 | 8,435,185 |
| 15 China Airlines | 4,575,085 | 959,082 | 5,534,167 | 4,058,404 | 1,373,580 | 5,431,984 |
| 16 Lufthansa | 1,822,959 | 3,175,224 | 4,998,183 | 1,915,022 | 3,394,821 | 5,309,843 |
| 17 Gulf Air* | 719,717 | 2,798,839 | 3,518,556 | 994,662 | 2,671,212 | 3,665,874 |
| 18 Cargolux | 952,594 | 2,112,802 | 3,065,396 | No Report | No Report | No Report |
| 19 Polar Air Cargo | 83,011 | 2,934,714 | 3,017,725 | No Report | No Report | No Report |
| 20 Malaysian Airlines | 1,165,606 | 935,682 | 2,101,288 | 1,143,203 | 3,041,160 | 4,184,363 |
| 21 Egypt Air | 470,100 | 1,087,095 | 1,557,195 | 545,742 | 876,318 | 1,422,060 |
| 22 Emirates Air | 1,213,762 | 287,805 | 1,501,567 | 1,197,240 | 2,564,213 | 3,761,453 |
| 23 Qantas Airways | 671,133 | 802,208 | 1,473,341 | 850,369 | 773,682 | 1,624,051 |
| 24 Air France | 622,158 | 712,379 | 1,334,537 | 653,299 | 1,628,888 | 2,282,187 |
| 25 Qatar Airways | 696,353 | 455,165 | 1,151,518 | 301,029 | 248,546 | 549,575 |
| 26 Kuwait Airways* | 684,052 | 279,120 | 963,172 | 1,002,856 | 542,671 | 1,545,527 |
| 27 Saudi Arabia Airlines | 773,190 | 117,903 | 891,093 | 682,177 | 185,766 | 867,943 |
| 28 Royal Brunei | 449,293 | 397,628 | 846,921 | 532,237 | 373,438 | 905,675 |
| 29 Silkair (CEB) | 325,062 | 366,835 | 691,897 | 567,005 | 326,302 | 893,307 |
| 30 Continental Micronesia * | 23,609 | 657,041 | 680,650 | 29,142 | 830,899 | 860,041 |
| 31 Swiss Int’l Airlines | 215,026 | 289,599 | 504,625 | 212,196 | 369,801 | 369,801 |
| 32 China Southern*** | 125,941 | 161,531 | 287,472 | 67,502 | 9,140 | 76,642 |
| 33 Air Niugini | 175,215 | 17,222 | 192,437 | 57,395 | 12,551 | 69,946 |
| 34 Air Macau (No Inbound) | 24,135 | 24,135 | 65,404 | |||
| TOTAL | 88,915,413 | 107,560,696 | 196,476,109 | 97,871,873 | 118,337,401 | 216,209,274 |
Notes:
* No September Data
** No Q3 data
*** No 2002 first-half report
Source: Civil Aeronautics Board
In the third quarter alone, air shipments totaled 60,068,132 kg, of which 32,294,717 kg were outgoing and 27,773,415 incoming.
Despite the absence of its third-quarter data, the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines remained the leading international cargo carrier for the period delivering first-half results of 25,828,227 kg. Last year – from January to September – it carried 42,089,568 kg.
United Parcel Services (UPS) leaped into second place handling 20,663,227 kg for the nine-month period. This was 149.16% more than the 8,293,247 kg it carried during the same period in 2002. The express carrier’s total inbound shipments carried was 7,507,356 kg, up 115% from last year’s 3,493,281 kg. Outbound cargoes, on the other hand, jumped 174% from 4,799,966 kg to 13,155,871 kg.
Cathay Pacific ranked third as shipments totaled 19,686,361 kg for the three-quarter period. The figure is, however, 13.52% lower than the 22,766,631 kg it carried in the comparable period in 2002. The Hong Kong-based carrier saw both inbound and outbound shipments dip 12.86% and 14.21%, respectively.
Korean Air posted a 1.4% decline in shipments carried from 14,955,996 kg to 14,747,810 kg. Despite the negative variance, the company kept its fourth ranking. Incoming cargoes increased 13.20% although outbound cargoes slid 9.40%.
The fifth-leading carrier for the nine-month period was Singapore Airlines. It carried a total of 13,719,534 kg, down 8.21% from last year’s 14,947,351 kg.
Nippon Cargo Airlines came in sixth with 9,979,523 kg. The figure is however, lower by 24.12% compared with last year’s 14,947,351 kg.
Completing the top ten were: Northwest Orient which carried 9,746,387 kg, up 11.63% from last year; Eva Air with 8,817,563 kg; Japan Airlines which replaced Thai Airways in the ninth spot with 7,331,664 kg; and Asiana Airlines which transported 7,243,436 kg during the period.
