Asian airlines experience freight decline in August

Preliminary figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines revealed member airlines moved 5.29 million freight ton kilometers of cargo in August on international scheduled services, a year-over-year drop of 0.3 percent.    Member airlines of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines moved 5.29 million freight ton kilometers of cargo in August on scheduled international services, a 0.3 percent decline from last August, according to preliminary figures from the AAPA.
   Offered freight capacity on international scheduled services by member airlines rose 3.3 percent in August over last year to 8.68 million available freight ton kilometers.
   Consequently, the average international freight load factor for the month stood at 61 percent, down 2.2 percentage points from August 2014.
   “Air cargo markets remain weak, reflecting a further slowdown in world trade in recent months,” AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman said in a statement. “Overall, however, after accounting for the initial growth spurt earlier this year, air cargo demand has still registered a 3.0 percent increase for the first eight months of the year.”
   Based out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines is the trade association for scheduled international airlines based in the Asia-Pacific region. Its members include Air Astana, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Dragonair, EVA Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International.