The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) released its report for July 2024 and it shows healthy international passenger growth throughout the region. 

Regional initiatives encouraging travel continued to yield positive results, with relaxation of visa policies underpinning the influx of travellers during the peak summer holiday season.

Latest preliminary traffic figures released by the association reveal international passengers rose by 22.6 percent year-on-year to 31.9 million. Steady growth also boosted traffic volumes to 95.5 percent of the levels seen in the same month back in 2019 before the pandemic hit.

Available seat capacity expanded by 21.2 percent, marginally surpassing the 20.5 percent demand increase measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK). As a result, the average international passenger load decreased marginally by around 0.6 percent, settling at 82.6 percent in July.

AAPA director-general Subhas Menon said: “The strong demand trend observed in the first half of the year carried into July, with Asian airlines reporting growth in both international passenger and cargo markets.

“Overall, during the first seven months of the year, the number of international passengers carried grew by a solid 39 percent to 208 million, supported by network expansions.”