HONG Kong's Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon carried 187,644 tonnes of cargo and mail in August, an increase of 8
HONG Kong's Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon carried 187,644 tonnes of cargo and mail in August, an increase of 8.9 per cent compared to the same month last year. The cargo and mail load factor rose by 2.9 percentage points to 68.4 per cent. Capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometres (AFTKs), was increased by 2.8 cent while cargo and mail revenue freight tonne kilometres (RFTKs) increased by 7.4 per cent.
In the first eight months of 2018, the tonnage rose by 7.1 per cent against a 3.3 per cent increase in capacity and a 6.6 per cent increase in RFTKs.
'Our cargo business also continued its good momentum in August. Tonnage grew ahead of capacity, which was driven by strong transshipment volumes across our network. We saw good growth among the pharmaceutical and perishable segments,' said Cathay cargo and commercial director Ronald Lam.
'However, the favourable currency trend that we have enjoyed so far this year is reversing rapidly. Besides, our performance in September is set to be negatively impacted by the significant typhoons that disrupted our operations in both Japan and Hong Kong, especially our cargo business which is in its seasonal peak. We are also closely monitoring external factors that have the potential to impact global trade.'
The sister airlines also carried 3,278,481 passengers last month - an increase of 6.4 per cent compared to August 2017. The passenger load factor increased slightly to 87.1 per cent, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 4.9 per cent.
In the first eight months of 2018, the number of passenger carried grew by 2.4 per cent while capacity increased by 3.3 per cent.
Said Mr Lam: 'Traffic volume in August outgrew capacity increases, with the recent strong demand for our premium cabins continuing throughout the month. We also witnessed yield growth in the backend thanks in part to a better traffic mix.'
