Cathay Pacific traffic remains flat amid easing travel restrictions

Cathay Pacific’s September cargo tonnage and capacity remained near August levels as travel restrictions eased in Hong Kong and Japan, according to the latest traffic figures from the carrier. The Hong Kong-based carrier transported 104,055 tonnes of cargo in September, remaining relatively flat with August’s 104,851 tonnes of cargo, according to today’s release. However, September’s cargo tonnage decreased 20.6% year over year and was 39.7% lower than the same period in 2019. The carrier’s revenue tonne kilometers (RTKs) totaled 590,115, dropping 28.3% YoY and 38.6% compared with September 2019 levels. Cathay Pacific’s cargo load factor (CLF) decreased by 13.3 percentage points YoY to 66.4%. Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne kilometers (ATKs), was down 14% YoY and 39.4% lower than the same period in 2019. Year to date, tonnage dropped 9.8% while capacity fell 23.7% and RTKs fell 31.8%, according to the report. [caption id="attachment_91054" align="alignright" width="368"] Photo / Pittsburgh Airport[/caption] The carrier’s reduced tonnage was expected due to the unusually high levels of 2021 but was still lower than anticipated, Ronald Lam, chief customer and commercial officer, said in the release. “We had reduced cargo flight capacity in expectation of [lower tonnage] and operated fewer cargo-only passenger services on long-haul routes,” Lam said. “However, the fall in demand compared with last year was greater than predicted, largely due to weaker consumer demand and reduced manufacturing activities in the Chinese Mainland.” Higher capacity, fewer pilots Following the Hong Kong government’s September announcement that it would lift some COVID-19-related travel restrictions, including the hotel quarantine for passengers arriving in the country, Cathay Pacific’s website traffic jumped, Bloomberg reported. Cathay Pacific plans to rebuild its network , operating a full freighter schedule in August, with 200 pairs of passenger flights to both regional and long-haul destinations in the future, the release stated. The carrier plans to increase flights steadily over the next few months. As Japan has also eased travel restrictions, the first Cathay Pacific flights to resume this month will go to Osaka (KIX), and flight frequencies between Hong Kong (HKG) and Tokyo (TYO) are also set to increase. Meanwhile, the carrier introduced two new Cargo iQ milestone measurements — freight out of warehouse (FOW) and freight into warehouse (FIW) — at its HKG cargo terminal to bring greater transparency to operations, the carrier announced in August. With the additional cargo provided by increased passenger flights, as well as the resumption of Cathay Pacific’s full freighter schedule, the carrier will offer extended routings and more consistent services, the release stated. The carrier also predicts “solid demand” during peak season , which may be weaker than 2021 levels but above historical averages, Lam said. Despite the positive predictions, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA) warned that Cathay Pacific may experience “unprecedented” staffing shortages , losing as much as 40% of its pilots since 2020, which may make it unprepared for peak season, according to a recent release from the association. The carrier plans to step up recruitment to meet the surge in demand, the Cathay Pacific release stated. Join Air Cargo World for our next webinar, “Dangerous goods in focus: Shoring up air cargo logistics,” on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to register.

Cathay Pacific traffic remains flat amid easing travel restrictions

Fall in demand YoY greater than predicted

Maersk Air Cargo begins first scheduled service

AEI’s Convey to discuss narrowbody conversions at CFS

Related Posts

Freighter operators bet on Indian export network

August cargo traffic finishes summer with global growth

Amazon jet lacked wind data before Miami crash, NTSB says

AEI’s Convey to discuss narrowbody conversions at CFS

Cargo Facts Free Newsletters

Cargo Facts Connect Podcast

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Retrieve your password