Demand for air travel in Asia Pacific continues to rise, with the region’s airlines experiencing a 6.0% increase in international passenger numbers last year.

According to the latest data from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), which represents most of the region’s major carriers, a total of 293 million passengers were carried by Asian airlines on international routes in 2016, with an average load factor of 78.7%, up 0.3 percentage points.

“Notwithstanding some unexpected geopolitical developments and macro-economic uncertainty in 2016, air passenger traffic carried by Asian airlines continued to grow, climbing 6.0% higher compared to the preceding year,” said Andrew Herdman, director-general of the AAPA.

“Asian regional travel markets were relatively strong, as was demand on routes to and from North America, although routes from Asia to Europe saw some weakness following terrorist-related incidents.”

Looking ahead, Herdman said that the outlook for air travel in 2017 remains “broadly positive”, although he also suggested that growth rates may moderate.

“Market conditions remain highly competitive and airlines are focused on active cost management, whilst continuing to invest in future growth opportunities,” he concluded.