Cathay Pacific released its traffic report for November 2023, highlighting substantial growth in both passenger and air cargo segments.
For passengers, Cathay Pacific carried 1,633,145 individuals, marking a remarkable 210% increase compared to November 2022. Revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) surged by 148.2%, with a passenger load factor of 80.5%. Available seat kilometres (ASKs) saw a significant rise of 141.9% year-on-year.
In the cargo segment, the airline transported 123,970 tonnes, representing a 20.3% increase from November 2022. Cargo revenue tonne kilometres (RFTKs) rose by 14.2%. However, the cargo load factor experienced a slight decline to 61.1%, while available cargo tonne kilometres (AFTKs) saw a notable 25.1% year-on-year increase.
Lavinia Lau, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, attributed the slower travel month in November to reduced demand in routes to and from the United States before Thanksgiving, coupled with softer leisure travel across Hong Kong’s network due to the absence of public holidays. Nevertheless, bright spots were observed, such as strong traffic in India during Diwali and increased leisure demand in Japan for autumn foliage.
In cargo, November saw a robust 20% growth attributed to seasonal sales events like ‘Singles’ Day,’ ‘Black Friday,’ Thanksgiving, and year-end demand for Christmas. Besides e-Commerce, traditional commodities like electronics, automobiles, and perishables contributed to this growth.
Looking ahead, Cathay Pacific highlighted recent developments enhancing the travel experience in the Greater Bay Area, including the opening of the first Cathay Pacific ferry lounge in Shenzhen’s Shekou Cruise Home Port and the ‘Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK’ passenger service. With the Christmas holiday season, strong travel demand was noted, marked by the successful return of the Christchurch service and the anticipated reintroduction of First Class service on New York (JFK) flights from March 31, 2024.
For cargo, positive demand forecasts were expected to persist throughout December into the year-end holidays, reflecting a promising outlook.
