AAPA member carriers report improved loads

Saturday, 21 June 2008

THE ASSOCIATION of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) reports international freight traffic expressed in FTK terms grew by 4.0 per cent in July, slightly ahead of capacity growth, with the freight load factor edging up to 66.8 per cent.

International passenger numbers grew by 4.1 per cent year-on-year to 12.8 million in July. International passenger traffic in RPK terms was up 4.2 per cent year-on-year. Capacity growth was 2.4 per cent, resulting in an average passenger load factor of 80.1 per cent, 1.4 percentage points higher than the same month last year.

Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, AAPA’s director general said, “Air cargo traffic growth this year has been relatively weak, up just 2.8 per cent in FTK terms for the first seven months, but 4.0 per cent growth in July could suggest an improving trend as we move into the traditionally stronger second half of the year."

PAUL Little, Toll Group’s managing director, has signalled Toll is thinking carefully about its majority stake in Virgin Blue.  He told an investment conference in New York that a “more definitive decision” was likely before the end of the calendar year.

Toll this year has been built up air cargo operations and Little said the company did not want to be in the passenger aviation sector in the longer term.

That seems to suggest that one of the options given to his audience at the Merrill Lynch Australia Investment Conference — holding the full stake — is not top of mind for the Toll strategic planning team.
The other two options, said Little, were to sell down the stake or sell it totally.