Happy new year in Asia Pacific

International cargo tonne-km rose seven per cent in January 2015 compared with the same month last year, said the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) in its latest preliminary traffic figures.
Business was boosted by increased import-export activity in the run-up to the Chinese Lunar New Year, said AAPA.
The association noted that the average international freight load factor also continued to strengthen, up 1.3 percentage points to 61.8 per cent, despite a 4.8 per cent increase in offered capacity.
Freight outperformed the passenger business, which rose 4.6 per cent to 22.4m passenger in January.
AAPA director general Andrew Herdman, said: "Airfreight markets continued to see good growth, reflecting sustained consumer demand from North America and Europe for Asia-manufactured goods." 
Nevertheless, he added, Asian carriers continue to face a competitive operating environment and needed “to carefully monitor capacity in line with evolving market conditions”.
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