Cathay Pacific’s September air cargo drop

CATHAY Pacific Airways’ combined Cathay and Dragonair traffic figures for September 2013 show passenger numbers rising despite decreased capacity – and a year-on-year drop in cargo. 
While passenger numbers grew by six per cent in the month, compared with September 2012, the two airlines jointly carried 128,610 tonnes of cargo and mail, a drop of 4.4 per cent.
For the year to date, tonnage has fallen by 1.9 per cent despite a 0.5 per cent capacity increase.
Mark Sutch, Cathay’s general manager for cargo sales and marketing, says: “Cargo revenue was behind budget when we expected to have moved fully into the peak season, with tonnage and load factor falling, despite a slight capacity increase.
“The bright spot in our network is China, which saw a month-end, pre-National Holiday rush with tonnage jumping by double digits,” he adds.
In a positive development, the new Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal’s transition to full operation in early October is an important milestone in the region.