15-Feb-2010 9:59 AM
Cathay Pacific reports passenger numbers rise 0.4% in Jan-2010, cargo surges
Cathay Pacific reports (12-Feb-2010) the following traffic highlights in Jan-2010:
- Passenger numbers: 2.1 million, +0.4% year-on-year;
- Passenger load factor: 83.8%, +4.3 ppts;
- Cargo volume: 132,586 tonnes, +31.1%.
Cathay Pacific: "Our passenger numbers showed a marginal increase despite a reduction in capacity and the fact that Chinese New Year fell in January last year. The improved load factor reflects the continuing pick-up in traffic from the lows of the financial crisis, spurred by high volumes of returning traffic from the busy Christmas period. We were also encouraged to see premium passenger numbers continue to grow, though we still have a long way to go to get back to the yield levels we enjoyed before the economic downturn...After a very strong end to 2009 we were pleased to see robust [cargo] demand continue into the New Year. Direct comparisons with 2009 are distorted by the fact that our traffic volumes were being severely affected by the economic slump early last year. However, the fact that we had roughly the same capacity as the previous January but an almost 16-point increase in load factor shows the extent to which traffic has bounced back," Company statement. Source: Cathay Pacific, 12-Feb-2010.