Asia-Pacific’s airline industry appears to be on a flight to robust recovery, with international passenger traffic up 19.8% in November 2024 from a year ago, preliminary figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines ( AAPA ) show.
The region’s carriers collectively transported 31 million international passengers, propelled by a strong demand for both business and leisure travel across key long-haul markets.
Revenue passenger kilometres ( RPK ), a key industry metric measuring total distance flown by paying passengers, surged 21.7% year-on-year, reflecting sustained consumer confidence in air travel.
Despite a 17.6% expansion in available seat capacity, airlines reported a healthy rise in load factor by 2.7 percentage points to 82%, underscoring efficient capacity management amid growing competition.
“Asia-Pacific airlines have led growth in international travel markets this year, benefitting from strong demand for both business and leisure travel and demand has now fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, for the first 11 months of the year, the region’s carriers recorded a 31% increase in the number of international passengers carried to a combined total of 334 million,” says AAPA director general Subhas Menon.
Buoyed by rising e-commerce activity, along with persistent operational challenges in maritime shipping and exporters rushing shipments ahead of potential US tariff increases, cargo traffic also remained a bright spot.
Air cargo markets reported healthy growth in November, driven by increased demand going into the year-end holiday season. This contributed to a strong 14% year-on-year increase for the first 11 months of the year.
Freight tonne kilometres ( FTK ) grew by 10.5%, slightly ahead of a 10% rise in freight capacity. As a result, the average international freight load factor edged up by 0.2 percentage points to 62.3%.
Looking ahead, aviation industry leaders remain cautiously optimistic, acknowledging macroeconomic uncertainties and potential supply chain disruptions as key risks.
However, Asia-Pacific airlines remain well-positioned to navigate future challenges while maintaining high service standards, according to the AAPA.